


Operation: Infiltrate

by Amaxe



Category: Danny Phantom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover, Dani is smarter than you thought, Despite the description, Fluff and Angst, Friends and Allies, Funny, Gen, Identity Reveal, More Powers, My First Fanfic, Natural portals are a pain, Not movie or comic compliant, Older Dani, POV First Person, S.H.I.E.L.D. Undercover Contest, See? I have a sense of humor, Timeline What Timeline, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Until it sort of is?, there is no slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-12-15 05:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11799132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaxe/pseuds/Amaxe
Summary: SHIELD is thrown off kilter when a glowing figure appeared via portal, fell nearly 90 stories, and survived. Who or what is this? And since when could someone wake from a week long coma and promptly FLY out of a high security facility like the walls weren't even there?And something's up with this new recruit.A funny, yet suspenseful story of heart and belonging.AGED UP. NO SLASH.Needs revision. SOON TO BE UNDER REVISION. Primarily just fixing the tenses and some descriptions.





	1. Wasted Sushi

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first try at a fanfic. I told myself for the last 2 years that I will always read but never write, guess I was wrong. This is a bit of an experiment. I’ll continue to write if I’m inspired by the reaction. You readers certainly hold the power! That means bookmark/kudo and comment if you want more. Also, at any point if you see any mistakes, don’t be afraid to give me a holler!
> 
> I’m going to warn you now that if I do continue, it will be inconsistent. I’m in college and have a life, and my grades are far more important than this!
> 
>  

**Rated T for violence/injury and the** **occasional mild curse word.**

**Tony is not going to adopt anybody. Like that's never been done before...**

**This is NOT a piggy back story! I'm not going to have Dani show up when the Avengers are brought together and help defeat the Chitari.**

**Just to be safe, cause everyone seems to be doing it, I don't own the characters in here.**

* * *

 

Tony's always had a thing for sushi.

The fact that it's ten in the morning held no significance to him. Good thing Pepper's out of state on business at the moment. She'd put up a fuss, say it's too early to eat something raw. Tony's a grown man, dammit. He can eat what he wants _when_ he wants to.

He uses chopsticks because he can and it makes him feel cultured. He lifted up the second roll when a loud WHAM resonated from his side. Tony instinctively jerked to the side, flinging the sushi roll halfway across the room. He turned and saw a large smear on the nearest window. His fingers lax and the chopsticks fell to the floor, his jaw following pursuit.

After a few seconds pause, Jarvis piped up, "Sir, it would seem a large object hit your window."

A few more seconds and Tony slowly shook himself out of his stupor before glaring at the ceiling. "No shit, Sherlock." He turned back to the window. "Either Big Bird learned how to fly or that was not a bird… Jarvis, pull up surveillance footage."

Rather than respond, Jarvis promptly lowered the kitchen television, playing the last minute's footage. Tony watched intently, eyebrows creasing in concentration before his eyes widened and he bolted for the elevator. He simply shouted, "Ground level!" and the elevator doors opened in response.

On the way down, he paced, ready for the worst. That was 89 stories. That girl, however strange she may appear, couldn't have possibly survived. How did she get her hair so white anyway? And was she flying, or was that just forward momentum? How did she make a green and glowing portal? Where did she come from? Who gave her fashion advice? Because she needs some serious help.

Tony shook his head, shoving his curiosity aside. Questions like that can wait. By the time he ran outside, a couple dozen people had formed a semicircle on the sidewalk. He shoved his way through, people parted when they saw his face. In the center he finally saw her, surprisingly whole, though clearly with some broken bones, if the angle of her limbs is anything to go by. A small puddle of iridescent green formed underneath her head and through her stark white hair. Her nose bled the same substance.

A young man, with a hand reached back to clutch a small child, held two fingers to her neck. He slowly stood, made eye contact with the others, and shook his head. Tony already knew that had to be the case, but having it come to fruition wasn't any easier. They all stood there, letting it settle in and unsure of what to do next, when a little girl shouted and pointed excitedly.

"She's moving!"

Tony didn't believe her but looked anyway. After a few moments he sees it, a slow and shallow rise and fall of her chest.

"That's not possible." He muttered, stalking around her to reach for her pulse on her neck. There is nothing. He watched the rise and fall of her chest again.

"What are you?" He whispered to no one, unheard in the commotion.

A hand grasped his shoulder, a hint tighter than polite.

"We'll take things from here," a familiar voice states.

Tony internally groaned and turned to face a man he has grown to despise: his babysitter.

"Coulson," he acknowledged, standing to level with the agent.

By now men in suits had managed to move the bystanders from Tony and Coulson. Tony hadn't even noticed them arrive.

Coulson ignored Tony's tone of voice and said, "SHIELD picked up a large energy spike here. That girl was behind it. We need to bring her in." His tone left no room for argument.

Tony hated backing down, but this was beyond him. He opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. He figured he could always hack SHIELD later to sate his curiosity. And if anyone can help this girl recover, it's SHIELD. He nodded and stepped aside, allowing the men to place her on a stretcher and carry her to the nearest van.

Tony will figure this out. He always does.

* * *

A few hours before, _very_ far away.

* * *

I grinned at Danny and his two best friends on live chat on my laptop screen. "I got it!"

Danny, who knows me best, realized what I meant and his face lit up first. "No way! You mean it actually worked?!"

My office chair scooted impossibly closer to my bedroom desk as I subconsciously tried to get as close to them as possible. "Of course it did! Did you ever doubt Jazz? She's entitled to good ideas now and then, you know."

Tucker interjected, voice heavy with sarcasm. "Yeah, just ask _Ghost X_ …"

I shivered involuntarily. "Ok, point. But where she fails at creative names, she makes up for in psychology. She knew how the people would react to my going public. It was only a matter of time until they would demand I be made an official citizen."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it _only_ took the government, what, three months?"

I couldn't hide the smirk growing on my face. "I think I can forgive them for the wait. It's very unique."

Danny made a show of grabbing the camera and shook it, giving the rest of us a blurred view of his college dorm room. "Well, don't keep us in suspense! Show us them, Dani!"

My hands eagerly snatched my new and official birth certificate and social security card and held them up where my camera could see them in all their glory.

Sam was the first to notice what made them so unique. "Are there two years on the birth certificate?"

"Exactly! My date of birth is now officially April 7th 1994/2006!"

Tucker coughed. "So you're like both seventeen and five?"

"Yep!"

Danny's head tilted to the side. "Why April 7th?"

My hand automatically reached to scratch the back of my neck. "It's the day we first met. I figured it's a better birthday than the day that… Vlad…"

Danny gave me an expression of understanding. "Hey, I like it. It suits you." I know that look on his face. He wishes he could give me a hug. But that's a little difficult when you're not even in the same state. The whole cloning thing makes us all uncomfortable, but Danny tries hardest of all to make me feel wanted. I'll always appreciate that.

He continued, "So, this means your birthday is only next month! Way to mess up our schedules."

I maturely stuck my tongue at him.

Sam folded her arms and leaned back. "At least you finally have something to show after dealing with the paparazzi for so long. How is that by the way? None of us can exactly defend you when you're all the way back in Illinois."

"It's calmed down a lot. I only catch one hiding nearby every couple of days. I don't know how you've been able to put up with it for so long, Danny! They're really annoying… At least at school there isn't so much staring. And the ghost attacks that bring the paparazzi out are still a lot less often since before the disasteriod incident. When they do happen I still have Maddie, Jack, and Cujo. Maddie is training me in karate, and the school has finally given me permission to leave for ghost attacks now. So that's a bonus from going public."

Danny smiled. "Speaking of school, don't you graduate in a couple months? How's it feel to be almost free from High School?"

"I think I'm actually going to miss it. Unlike, well, _everyone_ , I actually _chose_ to go, if you recall. But I'm really looking forward to summer when you all can come visit!"

Tucker pulled out a bag of M&Ms. "So, what are you going to do after you graduate? You want to be an astronaut like Danny?"

A familiar well of frustration rose in my chest. Why does everyone compare me to him? There was once a time that he was my role model. I wanted nothing more than to be like him, to belong. But as we grew, it became obvious that while we are alike, that doesn't make us the same.

I love Danny, but I'm my own person, not him. _I_ wasn't raised on Jack's and Maddie's laps, gazing at the stars and calling them by name. _I_ didn't build a rocket for the fifth grade science fair. DNA only goes so far… Surely Tucker knows this by now. It's bad enough that I get it from everyone outside of family and friends. Like always, I shoved the feeling down and ignored it.

"No… No, I don't want to be an astronaut. I'm not sure what yet, but not that. I've learned a lot from Jack and Maddie and am really good with machines. Maybe I could be some sort of inventor or engineer? That's what the college that accepted me specializes in."

Sam twirled a strand of her waist length hair on a finger. "You could always be a spy or interrogator, especially with that power of yours."

I groaned. "Why? I hate that power!"

Tucker stopped chewing his M&M and slammed his hands on his desk. "What?! It's awesome! You can literally overshadow people and push their spirits out of their bodies! Can you come visit? I want to go flying around as a spirit again. I miss flying."

I shook my head. "It's too dangerous! If you stay out of your body too long, it could be permanent or you could die."

"I'll be responsible."

"When I do it, I can read all your thoughts and memories. Don't you feel violated?"

"No one can ever get too much of this lady's man."

My forehead slammed against my desk. A loud moan of exasperation escaped my lips. "How can you even enjoy it? No one except ghosts can even see or hear you. You can't touch anything. You just float around on an hour's time limit."

Tucker folded his arms and his lips set into a pout. "Not all of us can fly whenever we want to."

Danny stepped in. "I know it's rich coming from me, but you really shouldn't be afraid of your own powers. It's not healthy. You've had this one for almost two years now. Besides that, Mom told me you just got your cryokinesis powers a couple days ago. How are you holding up?"

I lifted my head up enough to rest my chin on my forearms. "You sound like Jazz. Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

Danny rolled his eyes, a small smile of affection came before it was masked. "Dani."

I huffed. "Fine. It's fine. I'm training with Frostbite when I can between homework and school. Maddie's making me wear a belt that keeps me in ghost form-"

"So that's why!"

I ignored Tucker. "- because she's afraid I might freeze and damage my human body. I'm not freezing myself anymore, but she says you can never be too safe and I'll only have to put up with it for another couple days. Sometimes if I get too distracted or emotional I will freeze things, but otherwise I have pretty good control. But I seriously can't wait to take this thing off. I'm tired of all the weird looks at school."

Danny leaned closer. "Mom made you a belt that keeps you in ghost form? That would have been useful in my first couple of years…"

I suppressed a knowing smile. "Tell me about it. How you were able to keep your secret for so long is beyond me. You have more luck than the rest of us combined."

Danny snorted. "I won't argue with you there. I assume Mom installed the anti-tear sensors?"

"Of course. She learned after raising _you_ , didn't she?"

Sam's eyebrows raised in confusion. "Anti-tear sensors? What's that?"

Danny held his face up with a fist. "Oh, sorry Sam. I forgot to tell you. Do you remember when I was in the middle of a ghost swarm and one of them almost tore clean through the thermos?"

A nod.

"Well, Dad knew we would have been in a big pickle if the thermos released all the ghosts I already caught, so he updated all the equipment Dani and I use. Now if something rips into one of them, there are sensors that pick that up and an adapter borrows our intangibility powers so that only we can touch it and it won't be damaged anymore."

"Smart."

"Well, he _is_ an inventor."

"Smartass."

"Well, I _am_ the son of inventors."

I barely kept my laughing quiet and behind my hand. Tucker did the same. Their chemistry is hilarious. "I- hehe- I have to go. I have a little time to meet up with Frostbite before dinner."

All three returned their focus to me again. Danny smiled. "Alright. Let us know how the training goes!"

"Will do."

* * *

Frostbite has taken to calling me "The child of the Great One."

It's kind of weird, but he says it with such pride and endearment that I can't find it in my heart to correct him. So long as no one else hears about it, it's not a big deal.

I just finished another long and exhausting session with him. Floating doors blast by in a blur as I rush to make it in time for dinner. I was about halfway to the portal when Skulker spotted me.

Ever since I went public, he's been after me nearly as persistently as he has been after Danny. I was far too tired to face him so I sped up instead. There are new and improved countermeasures that are programed into the Fenton portal to ignore my ectosignature. All I needed to do was get close enough and the firepower would take care of my newly acquired shadow.

But of course, it couldn't be that simple. A natural portal opened up right in front of me, giving me no time to swerve or stop. To this day I can't help but wonder if Clockwork had anything to do with it. Natural portals that lead to another planet can't possibly be that common, if the fact that ghosts that actually live in the ghost zone don't seem to be disappearing. But I suppose I'll never get the chance to confirm that theory.

The portal opened mere feet from the side of a skyscraper. The last thing I saw was my own reflection and a hastily closing portal behind it before I slammed head-first and saw no more.

* * *

**Huge shout out to my beta, RosyThorn, for encouraging a massive revision in this first chapter. It was sorely needed, and I'm much more proud of it now.**


	2. Hot Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani wakes up to a strange conversation.

My head is pounding.

 

That one thought was all I seemed to be able to process. Experience told me that if I moved my head or opened my eyes, the throbbing would only magnify to nearly unbearable levels. I tried to swallow, only to realize that my throat was too dry to manage the task.

I had to force myself to take a deliberately slow and deep breath. Waking up to find myself this thirsty was very disorienting and scary. That’s when I realized that someone was talking, murmuring quietly nearby.

“… healing at a… rate… coma.”

“… a week.”

For a moment I was back home with the Fentons. I worried about how much trouble I’d be in for going through a natural portal.

“Have you been… remove belt?”

“No, we tried… can’t touch it… unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

The memories came back. I remembered what actually happened on the other end of the portal. I must have shifted in my discomfort, despite my eyes being closed. The voices paused for several moments.

One of them, a man, spoke up again.

“Did you see that?”

The other, a woman, my brain supplied, answered.

“Yes. That’s the first time I’ve seen her move. Should I notify the director?”

It was silent for a few moments.

“Yeah. But tell him I’m taking care of it.”

There was a swoosh sound and receding footsteps. Then with a click, everything went silent. I was starting to think I was alone, then... 

“You can open your eyes now. I know you’re awake.”

I stiffened, but eventually gave in and took a peek at the man behind the voice. Dirty blonde hair. He was in a black, sleeveless suit. There was something in his hand. A bow? He turned to face me more directly and I saw a quiver of arrows behind his shoulder. Definitely a bow.

I blinked in confusion. I’d gotten so used to various types of glowing green weapons, or at least some form of guns and canons. But I had never seen someone actually use a bow and arrow outside of a class or club.

We were in a hospital room of sorts. But no white, thank heavens. It was actually assorted colors of gray. There was a heart monitor to my left, picking up my lack of pulse.

That’s right. I’m still in ghost form. Good thing too. Who knows how my human body would have handled the fall I must have taken. I looked down at the belt, mentally praising Maddie. Wait a minute, why is it intangible? Then I saw it. There’s a clean cut nearly halfway through it on my side. I owe the Fentons so much.

The man put on a carefree smile and strode forward, practically jumping into the seat next to my bed. But there was a tenseness to his features. The way he moved a little too sharply or the way his shoulders were a little too straight. He was nervous and wary of me. I’ve learned more from Vlad than I care to admit. I know how to look past a smile.

He leaned toward me, and I instinctively leaned away, only to find myself unable. I looked down, wincing as a sharp pain went down my spine. Still have a ways to heal. Yep. I’m strapped to the bed. They weren’t ecto-based though. I could easily escape.

“You gave us quite the scare there.”

I jerked my gaze back to the man. He grinned, the gesture not quite reaching his eyes.

“What’s your name? I can’t very well call you the Glowing Girl, can I? Even if it is a bit catchy.”

My eyes narrowed. He doesn’t know who I am. Everyone knows who I am, and he doesn’t look like the hermit type. He may very well not know I’m a ghost either, if the bindings are anything to go by. That portal either led me a few years into the past, or a lot further than I thought possible. I sent a single invisible duplicate to investigate, about all I could muster at the moment. The duplicate was in pain too, but being antigravity makes a huge difference.

I returned my attention to the mystery man and decided to play it safe, “Just Girl is fine.”

My voice came out in a rasping croak. I grimaced. Right. Dehydrated. How long was I out?

He snorts. “Thirsty? We weren’t sure if you have human needs since you’re… not human.”

I fixed a firm gaze on him. “I still drink water.”

He nodded and reached to his other side where a small table supported a conveniently placed pitcher and cup. When he brought the glass my way, he stopped abruptly, apparently having planned to just hand it to me.

His lips pursed and I felt a blush ease its way onto my face. He hesitantly brought the rim to my lips and I shoved my embarrassment aside as I let him tilt the glass.

Holy heaven. That water rushed to every part of my body like a cold breeze in a sweltering desert. It was as though my brain untangled itself from a tight knot, like a sponge expanding to twice its size. I never knew thirst like at that very moment. Newfound strength came to me.

The man wouldn’t tip the glass of water fast enough to keep up with my unexpectedly ravenous gulps. I finished a first, then a second. It wasn’t until some point on the third glass that I finally had my fill.

The man let out a long breath as he put the glass back in its place. “You can call me Hot Guy.”

I double take. I guess I deserved that, but… really? “What kind of name is that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What kind of name is Girl? Let’s just say I earned the title. Just don’t tease me about roosting or building a nest and we’re good, ok?”

Now I’m really confused. “What does being a hot guy have to do with a nest? 

For a moment he seemed genuinely surprised, before realization dawned and he madly cackled. I could feel another blush form through my confusion. Hot Guy began laughing so hard that tears were shining in his eyes.

As this went on, I could sense my duplicate make a discovery. There was a nearby lab with a fair number of scientists. A few vials of my ectoplasm were being examined. There are few ways to guarantee my instant outrage. That is one of them.

As I began to see red, I could just make out Hot Guy calming down enough to say, “No! No, I said Hawkeye not Hot-” Another burst of giggles. “Not Hot-Guy! Oh, this is gold. Wait till I tell Nat. I think I should have my name changed. This is _so_ much better!”

He erupted into more laughter.

But at the moment, I couldn’t care less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just HAD to put that misunderstanding in there. The first time I heard it, that’s what processed in my head. I thought it’d be awesome if she had the same experience.


	3. Tough Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani isn't happy.

The room went cold enough to see his breath and frost formed on my sheets. Hawkeye stilled, having realized that something was up.

I ignored him. I was on a mission. I turned invisible and teleported to my duplicate, merging and transforming in silence, unseen by the scientists below. I picked up the nearest vial, hearing a man’s surprised yelp as he stared at the green vial suspended in midair. I grabbed each vial and slide that was glowing green and extended my invisibility to them.

By now, men and women were scrambling about, shouting about needing a director. That’s the second time I’d heard about this person. I’ll have to find out who it is later. I extended the reaches of my ghost sense. Despite the title, if you hone it you can locate ectoplasm in any form if it’s close enough. You can use it to locate ecto-weapons, or in this case, my own ectoplasm.

A familiar thrum reacted to my outreaching sense. There’s a small cluster a longer distance away. I followed the trail, floating through wall after wall unimpeded. It’s a pretty neat and empowering feeling. Where I’m from, ghost shields and other ghost deterrents are standard wherever it matters.

I finally arrived in a large storage compartment. And by large, I mean about the size of a supermarket. Heavily reinforced containers with number locks and fingerprint scanners were stacked as high as a two story building. I smirked. Piece of cake.

I located the right one easily enough. I stuck my head inside and found a few more refrigerated vials. Clearly they hadn’t figured out that ectoplasm doesn’t need to be refrigerated yet. It’s a self-sustaining fridge of its own.

I reached for them. It’s something close to a dozen vials. This much _cannot_ be healthy. It could have very well doubled my recovery time. The key to accelerated healing is the amazing qualities of ectoplasm, after all. After I had everything in a firm grip, I pulled away from the box.

The moment my head cleared of its confines, a shrill alarm drilled into my ears, completely catching me off guard. Looks like they’re after me. To free my hands, I made quick work of the ectoplasm in them, frying it till all that was left was a melted puddle of glass and ash. The action made me feel a little light headed and I swayed in the air. That was a little too much too soon. Despite the pain, I’d forgotten how I’m doing physically.

I needed to get out of there and find someplace I could hide and rest. I headed back the way I came, but at a much slower pace. Everyone was running about and shouting. All this noise was giving me a terrible, throbbing migraine again. I could hardly think past the relentless waves of pain.

Someone rounded a corner ahead of me and screeched to a stop, pointing a gun at me. “Don’t come any closer! Put your hands where I can see them!” He was wearing thick eyewear, must be heat sensors. In my pain, I paniced and flew upward as fast as I was able right through the ceiling. I didn’t stop. After 3 or 4 levels I finally saw sky and kept going.

When I finally turned back, my shock actually caused me to lose my invisibility for a moment. This wasn’t a building. It wasn’t even underground. This was a massive, hovering, metal island! Some sort of aircraft carrier and helicopter hybrid. I probably lingered there far longer than I should have, unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacular sight.

Eventually I shook my head to clear it, regained my invisibility, and darted in a random direction. My invisible form chased the horizon until it could barely fly, and practically fell onto a small alcove overlooking a forest. My eyes glued shut, fast asleep before I could properly lie down. 

* * *

Director Fury returned to his office. A hand slowly slid down his face before his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. Subject A173, or Glowing Girl, as the staff had taken to calling her, disappeared without a trace over an hour ago. He knows there has to be a way to track her. She’s made of powerful energy after all.

Not a single person on the helicarrier has come close to taking the data they managed to gain on her blood, before it was stolen and destroyed, and calibrate their scanners on it. He was not surprised. The data they had is incomplete after all. There was only one person who had a chance at pulling it off.

It’s going to be a major blow to his pride.

He logged onto his desktop and made a video call.

Two rings later, “Hey honey, miss me?”

“Can it, Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm way too proud of that chapter ending.


	4. A Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is brought into the picture.

Tony could have hacked SHIELD from his tower to do what Fury wanted. But this is so much sweeter. Fury actually asked for his help! Tony can’t wait to rub this in his pirate face.

Tony landed on the helicarrier less than a half hour after he had the most satisfying call with Fury. Tony just sat there gloating as Fury admit that his staff weren’t as capable as him. He had Jarvis record the whole exchange. He will play it again on a rainy day, or maybe blackmail. Hawkeye is going to love it.

After he arrived, a young agent led him straight to the main computers. He glanced at the partial files on her glow-stick blood, but also took the liberty to delve into everything they had on her so far.

Her body temp was 21 Fahrenheit when they got her, but hours before she woke up it had risen to 34. Interesting. Does it often fluctuate, or does it have to do with the injuries or healing process? Tony was willing to bet the latter. He remembers when he checked for a pulse, she was extremely cold to the touch. Her healing rate is extraordinary…

…Oh, she speaks English. Yay.

…She’s 5 foot 4. Good to know.

…Weighs 52 pounds?! That’s crazy! No wonder she wasn’t ridiculously hurt from the fall. **(That’s her ghost form, guys. She weighs 120ish as a human.)**

…She may be emotionally unstable. She didn’t react well to being laughed at… Who on earth did that?

Ah, here we go, Tony got to the fun part: known abilities. The first was flight. It had a short clip that showed her hovering in the air, nothing but blue skies behind her. She looked a little paler than when he last saw her. Her waist length hair whipped to the side, a look of shock and amazement on her face as she gazed down. The description below it only said that the speed or any length of time limits are unknown, and she was capable of traveling from her hospital bed to the lab, 78 feet, in 2.8 seconds. A minimum of 18.99 MPH. **(I did the math.)** Though likely faster since the only indicator of her arrival in the lab is when she lifted the first vial. Not to mention the time it took to actually find the lab.

The next was invisibility. This one had two clips. The first was one from a corner of a room peering down at her in a hospital bed, strapped down, Hawkeye sitting stiff beside her. Then, poof, she was gone. The second clip was the same as in flight, only longer. This time it also showed her appearing in the sky, staring, shaking her head, and disappearing again. Underneath, it made sure to specify that she could still be seen with heat sensors, by testimony of one of their faculty.

Then it had intangibility. There were no clips, but a short testimonial from the same faculty member who saw her with heat sensing goggles. He says to have seen her stop to look at him midair in the hallway, only to shoot straight up through the ceiling. It also made note that this was the only explanation to how she got everywhere.

Then it had a couple theoretical abilities. The first was cold manipulation. Agent Barton claims to have seen frost on her sheets shortly after her disappearance. There may be ties to her physical temperature.

Last was visual trickery, though noted as less likely. She may have the ability to alter what people see. Agent Barton was the only one to see frost on her sheets. The cameras didn’t pick it up and there was nothing left when they returned to the room to investigate.

Tony had finished reading anything interesting, so he turned to the matter at hand. Calibrating the sensors was easy enough. You just have to tell the machines to be more open minded and fill in the empty gaps, so to speak, but smart enough to see an energy source with a humanoid form as something worth looking at. He added a hidden bit of code to alert Jarvis when it finds a match. Tony wants in on the action.

He chuckled. What are they dealing with? A spirit? Ghost? He stopped believing in the paranormal when he discovered the power of Photoshop. He’s more willing to bet his cards on a metahuman, or are they called inhumans now? Maybe she’s even an alien. But there’s no way she’s a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are from Fanfiction.
> 
> ChaoticMinds: Great idea! Nice and simple, thanks.
> 
> Turtle: First of all, I wanted to thank you. You brought up some valid points and concerns. I’ll try to address each one. I have a couple ideas that will hopefully make this a little more unique from the rest of the crossovers. I felt like Dani is more relatable (outside of being a clone, obviously), with a rich and dark background, so I have more to work with. I’ve always been a logical thinker myself, so it just flows naturally here. I can’t say I’m super into her new power either, but I felt it had to be done since she’s been aged up and it was really the only ghostlike power I could think of that may play an interesting role later, hush hush. I don’t like her using it, and she doesn’t like using it on people. Sometimes it slips when she’s really upset though. But she’ll gain better control as the story goes on. 
> 
> I actually did explain briefly why her duplicate could move around: she was flying. Being not held down by gravity has got to work wonders on those aching joints and muscles. Later when she herself was moving around, not only was she antigravity, she was spiked with adrenaline (Or it’s ghost equivalent, lol) and sheer willpower. I never said Dani couldn’t move (except for her being tied down, but that’s a quick fix), it just hurts a bit. 
> 
> Shoot! I thought I was avoiding the awkwardness. I’m very straight to the point and couldn’t do filler to save my life. I don’t have the patience to add tons of meaningless details either. Oh well, I’ve never been the most talented writer. I’m better than average when it comes to proper grammar, but the general flow is something that can’t be taught or learned just by reading. Maybe a beta could come in and fatten up my writing someday. 
> 
> Don’t worry about the overpowering bit! It’ll seem that way at first, they’ve never dealt with anything like her before. But they’ll figure things out. I have a couple ideas, one of which ya’ll will never see coming. But for now, yeah, she is pretty darn powerful. And she just popped onto a planet that has absolutely no countermeasures against her.
> 
> I’ll try to explain the Hot Guy/nest joke. Barton actually introduced himself as Hawkeye from the start. Dani misheard him and thought he said “Hot Guy” which if not said clearly they can sound very similar. Barton’s unknowing claim that he earned the name “hot guy” is pretty funny. When Dani asked what a hot guy has to do with a nest, she said “hot guy” clearly enough for Barton to notice that she had misunderstood him. He was laughing because he never realized that his codename “Hawkeye” sounds so similar to “hot guy” and he thinks it’s the best thing ever. Plus Dani had unknowingly complimented him so being the man-child Barton is, he laughed probably more than is polite.


	5. The Only Shot I Have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani recovers and figures out what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally nothing happens in this chapter. Seriously.
> 
> You want a quick rundown? 
> 
> Last chance to skip...
> 
> Ok.
> 
> Dani recovers, she gets to a public computer and figures out that she's in an alternate universe/world/dimension, she decides to find the SHIELD helicarrier again to find any info on dimension travel.
> 
> That's it.
> 
> You're welcome!

If I thought I was sore before, that’s nothing compared to now. Sleeping on an uneven rocky surface with half mended bones, bloo- er, ectoplasm loss, exhaustion, and quite possibly malnutrition is not the best way to start your day. I groaned and attempted to stand in vain. A moment later I mentally face palmed. Hovering without moving any individual part of my body is really about all I’m capable of right now without being in extreme pain.

I flew high above to have a look around. I was a bit out of it yesterday so I never really got my bearings. I spot a small town to my left. Perfect.

After a quick invisible inspection at a small diner, I was happy to see that I wasn’t out of country so I could pay with cash. I pat myself on the back for having my wallet on hand when I last transformed. I found a nearby ally and removed my belt (I can touch something powered by my own intangibility of course. And only hands with access granted DNA can remove it), shoving it into my jacket pocket. I’m too weak to keep the transformation up and now that I’ve healed from the worst, staying in ghost form is doing me more harm than good.

After transforming, I grit my teeth. It feels like I’m caving in. Yep, definitely need food. I don’t think those people back on that giant floating island fed me while I was unconscious. They probably didn’t know that I eat human food and didn’t know how my body would react. It took all the self-control I had not to sway as I walked into the diner and was led to a small booth. The waiter was pretty friendly, and the food arrived quickly. I ate enough for three grown men and left an extra-large tip.

Right across the street was an old broken down motel. Well, that was easy. I hated what I had to do, but I didn’t have enough on me to pay for a night and desperate times call for desperate measures. I promised myself I’d tidy up so they’d never know I was there. The town was all but empty anyway. No one would be needing the furthest room.

Two minutes later, I lay down on a rumpled mattress that felt like heaven. I closed my eyes, knowing that since I’ve eaten a lot, when I woke I’d be almost as good as new.

* * *

I learned to never take life without pain for granted after the condition Vlad left me in all those years ago where having a somewhat stable body was a miracle in itself. When me or Danny are seriously injured, we found that the key is to get as many calories as possible and literally sleep it off.

Waking up felt amazing. This lumpy bed feels amazing. This stuffy room feels amazing. This tiny, crumbing town is amazing. It feels so good to be alive and well… and not strapped down. That reminded me way too much of Vlad than I’d like to admit.

I made the bed back the way I found it, took a shower, phased the water off, and finally phased all the grime off my clothes.

I rechecked the old place, making sure I left it the way I found it, transformed, and flew toward the center of town. In no time I found a library and settled at a public computer.

~ 30 minutes later ~

I am on a different earth.

I sit there in stunned silence as I try to process everything I learned.

There are superheroes here? Ironman? Captain America? There’s even a group of super powered mutants who are called the X-Men.

Nothing mentions a ghost epidemic. There isn’t even a Fenton family here. Without a Fenton family, there is no ghost portal. Is there even a ghost zone here?

How am I going to get home?

I don’t know what to think. For the first time in my life I feel utterly hopeless. Even when I was dying and melting away, I had Danny to keep me going. A year after the asteroid, I had the Fentons for support. Now who do I have? I am alone on a world entirely different from my own and I may never find a way back. I could never see my family again.

I don’t even have a picture of them. I left my phone behind.

There’s a horrible sunken feeling in my chest as I fight to hold back a sob.

No. There has to be a way. I can’t give up. Not now. Not when I have so much to go back to. But what can I do? Surely someone has done ghost research here. Or at least portal research. I open a new tab and search for anything that could be useful. 10 more minutes of research and nothing has come up.

I stop and think. What do I know? I know this world has a lot of technology just as advanced as back home. I know that the place I broke out of has to have a lot of info on said tech… Wait a minute… That organization clearly does a lot of overseeing on crazy, dangerous, and unknown things. That explains the layout, labs, funding, giant locked storage room, and the fact that they had me. The whole thing was mobile, for Pete’s sake!

What do they know? I tried to search for their logo, not finding anything for some time until I saw a blog posted this very day. Someone was ranting about a secret government conspiracy called SHIELD. A couple pictures of the logo were displayed. I tried doing a search on SHIELD, again only finding a few results that were posted very recently. Bingo. SHIELD is definitely its name. And based on the search results, they routinely sweep the web for anything mentioning them.

If anyone knows anything about portals, ghosts, or parallel worlds, it has to be them. I have to find that crazy huge ship again. I’ll comb the thing if I have to.

It’s a long shot, but it’s the only shot I have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great news guys! I know where I want to take this now *cough- actually have a plan –cough*. I have some great ideas. This is going to be a much more unique work than I initially thought. I’m so excited!


	6. Tony Messed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani searches, Toni tries to secretly right a wrong.

It took 5 hours, a ridiculously long period of time for me. The large aircraft was still several miles away, but its size made it easy enough to spot out. I stayed high above it, invisible. Turns out, it’s got its own form of camouflage. I couldn’t see it from underneath. Those massive rotating blades that kept it airborne were what gave it away. They are so loud.

I closed my eyes and focused. When I opened them again I saw my max of three duplicates gazing back at me, invisible to all except myself. They all held the same uneasy expressions, one rubbed her arm. I groaned, knowing I must look the same.

I hate government agencies. These people may not have the same tech as the Guys in White or Vlad, but they could still be dangerous. They can still see me with heat sensors, and any energy based gun could hurt or even kill me, transparent or not. I have to remain undetected for as long as I can.

I take a deep breath, and nod to my duplicates who return the gesture. We all split and dive down in different directions, phasing through the main deck.

* * *

Jarvis’s mechanical voice cut through the blaring rock music in the lab. “Sir, SHIELD’s sensors picked up that girl who hit your window just over a week ago.”

Sticking out from underneath a golden 2017 Bugatti Chiron, Tony’s legs, previously absentmindedly tapping with the beat of the music, came to a sudden still. He rolled out from under the car, face half covered in soot, and shouted over the music, “Show me! And call her Glowing Girl, corny as it is. SHIELD needs to come up with a better name… But ‘that girl who hit your window’ is way too long.”

“Of course, sir.”

The music faded to silence as the nearest screen began to play. Tony watched as a humanoid being, glowing with green energy, split into four. The three copies barely held a candle to what must have been the original. They stayed in a sort of midair huddle, before splitting off and diving headfirst into… the helicarrier.

What is she doing back there? Revenge? Tony could only imagine the absolute pandemonium that must be going on in there. Fury’s got to be blowing a gasket.

Tony stopped that track of thought and grew the most unrepentant smirk. There’s only one way to see for himself. He wiped his face off with a nearby hand-towel and hacked into SHIELD, forcing a two-way video call with the captain of spies.

Fury’s side profile came on the screen. He was standing in the main room, looking down impassively at the dozens of SHIELD employees on computers below. The screen Tony showed up on was on Fury’s blind side, leaving Tony’s appearance unnoticed.

Tony loudly and obnoxiously cleared his throat, finally getting Fury to turn his attention to the billionaire.

Fury’s lips pursed. “What do you want, Stark?”

“Hey Nikki! Long time, no see. Just wanted to check up on you. How’s your hunt for Glowing Girl going?” His eyebrows bounced up and down suggestively.

Fury fully faced him. “I’m sure you’ll be the first to know if anything comes up. What is this really about?”

Tony was shocked. “You… You don’t know where she is?”

Fury’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What do you know, Stark?”

“Nothing!” Tony replied too quickly, an octave higher than normal, “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Tony Stark! What are you h-”

Tony cut off the connection. What on earth?! How could Fury not know that-… Oh, oh no. Tony realized that he made a huge mistake. When he recalibrated the helicarrier’s sensors, he made sure that they would alert Jarvis but he never reinstalled the rest of the code. Primarily, actually alerting SHIELD’s staff.  
Tony had to fix this secretly. He’d never hear the end of it if anyone found out. Such a rookie mistake! He was so invested in his own curiosity that he didn’t bother to remember why he was there in the first place. Tony could easily fix it here, but there’s a big problem… make that four big problems. She’s already there. Fury would still know Tony did something wrong if all the alarms suddenly went off saying she was already right there, especially right after he called them.

There is only one way to fix this.

Tony had the latest Ironman suit assemble itself onto him. It had the most advanced heat sensors and energy sensors, thanks to Glowing Girl. Tony was nothing if not prepared.

Jarvis opened the nearest exit, and Tony launched off, headed straight for the helicarrier. He had to somehow scare or physically remove her from the ship before he repaired the programming, all without Fury being the wiser. This is going to be quite the challenge.

Tony mentally pats himself on the back for designing this Ironman model to be virtually invisible to any mechanical sensor.

* * *

I heavily sighed and rubbed my temples for the eighth time in the last five minutes. I found a large, unoccupied supercomputer in the heart of the ship. This is where I sat and searched while my duplicates searched the more physical way, through paper files or just hunting room to room.

I couldn’t help but wish Tucker were here. Hacking has never been my strongest suit. I managed to get in via overshadowing the computer but didn’t have much luck sifting through the thousands of files. I had to sit outside the computer and manually go through them. Looking for them through overshadowing is just harder. Imagine swimming in a pool and trying to catch fish with your bare hands compared to standing at the edge with a net. Some ghosts have a knack for it, but not me. I’ve never been the best at software fusion. Games are one thing, but this was never meant to be explored.

SHIELD turned out to be exactly what I thought it was. The detailed profiles they have on people are insane. Super healing and immortal with claws made of indestructible metal? A genius with metal limbs attached to his back? Controlling weather? A blue girl who can do the same as Amorpho? Some guy with a dorky helmet who can run through literally everything? Another guy with a dorky helmet who can fly and control metal? A rocket kid with a dorky helmet… Nova? What’s with all the helmets?

I’ve seen enough with ghosts to not be surprised anymore, but with real, living, breathing people blows my mind. How is this possible? The more I read, the more I’m certain that what I need has to be out there somewhere.

That’s when I hear it: metal on metal. Clank, clank. I still and listen, trying to figure out what it is. That noise is definitely getting louder… or closer. The only door to the room I’m in opens. I freeze, pure instinct keeps me on the invisible spectrum. The source of the noise enters; I realize that what I heard were footsteps as it finally steps into my line of sight. It’s a sleek humanoid machine painted red and gold.

It turns its head towards me, the door behind it automatically closing. The silence is deafening. I can’t move even though I know it sees me. I stare at its face, shaped into a permanent frown, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen it before.


	7. Metalman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet.

Tony wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting when he arrived on the helicarrier. The most densely concentrated form of the girl was, ironically enough, sitting at the exact same computer he had used to program the sensors to track her just the day before.

She hadn’t moved since he entered the small room. And since she was still invisible, he could only see her outline by the energy output the sensors in his suit picked up.

That was when he mentally face-palmed and asked Jarvis to switch to heat sensors. Tony’s vision was suddenly flooded with primary colors… and green. But he didn’t miss the slight shift of her head when he spoke. Could she have heard him? The speakers weren’t on, and the helmet is sound proof. Tony decided it didn’t matter.

Now that he could more or less see her face, he couldn’t help but notice how wide her eyes were and how her mouth hung slightly. Tony didn’t know how to react to this. He sort of hoped that when she saw him, she would just run right then and there. Now it’s just awkward. He hates awkward encounters. Then he noticed a thin blanket of frost blanketing the chair and expanding from where her feet touched the floor.

“So you _can_ control ice.”

She jumped slightly and averted her gaze. The frost stopped spreading. Tony could see in the corner of his screen the regular visuals. She was no longer invisible. He gladly set the visual input for default again. Seeing everything in bright colors is so disorienting.

She slowly scratched the back of her neck. “That one’s still a work in progress.”

Tony didn’t know what to say to that. He was starting to think she was a metahuman after all. Only metahumans have trouble with powers at her age because they recently got those powers. She can’t be a mutant or alien. Mutants and aliens are born with their powers and would have mastered them by now, assuming she’s really as old as she looks. Who knows? Maybe she’s actually a five-year-old hyper-growing alien. He’s seen weirder things.

He shook his head. Man, he has a wild imagination. Get back on topic! He has to get her out of here. He’s distracted by what he sees on the screen.

“Nightcrawler? What do you want with that fluff-ball?”

She turns to the screen before facing him again, somewhat sheepishly. “I can’t tell you that.” She inspects him more thoroughly before she asks, “Are you a machine or a man in a machine?”

Tony is nothing short of astounded. “You d-… Who wouldn’t… Have you been living under…” Eventually, he somewhat composed himself. “Where are you from?”

Maybe she is an alien after all. Or perhaps from the distant future…

* * *

First this man/machine/thing asks me a question I really shouldn’t answer, then he answers a question with a question. I’m starting to get frustrated.

I was looking into Nightcrawler’s profile, disappointed to find that the teleporter had distance limits of as little as two to three miles. Plus, he’d have to see where he’s going. There’s no way he could take me to another dimension, well... the one I’m looking for anyway.

If I told this machine/man that I’m looking for a way for cross-dimensional travel, I wouldn’t be able to seek it out without someone ready for me… like a SHIELD agent. Never tell your enemies your next move.

Something tells me this guy is pretty well known here, if his reaction is anything to go by. Then it hits me: this is Metalman… or something like that. The billionaire inventor/suit operating superhero. I read up a little on him back at the library. Not long after I reach that realization, he raised his face mask and I can actually see the man.

“How do you not know who I am?”

“I… _do_ …” I suddenly find interest in the far wall. “I just forgot for a second there.”

He leans back and folds his arms. “Uh-huh. Sure… Listen, you need to get off the Helicarrier.”

I look back at him. “The Heli-? Oh, that makes sense. But why do I have to get off it?”

He pauses a couple seconds. “They know you’re here. They’re coming.”

I smell deception. I send a couple silent questions to my duplicates: Did they spot you? Are they looking for me?

They all answer no. One sent me a visual of a place she found. She’s in a large room with a couple dozen people on computers. There’s a man on a platform above them with an eyepatch and wearing a leather trench coat. He’s shouting something about how useless the people are for not getting Stark back on.

Clearly they’re not looking for me, just some Stark guy.

I turn my focus back to Metalman. “No, they’re not.”

He’s clearly surprised. “How would you know something like that?”

I decided to loop the conversation. “How would _you_ know something like that?”

He’s clearly speechless and exasperated. It’s a funny look on him. I realized that if I told him what I could see, he might not try to blindside me. Back at home, everyone knew that Clockwork knows everything, so no one tries to prank or scare him. If this guy thinks I just know about everything around me, I might be able to skip anything he would try to pull otherwise.

So I say, “The only person they’re looking for is some guy called Stark. They’re trying to virtually connect with him.”

I didn’t think his eyes could get any bigger. “How can you… Wait, didn’t you say you know who I am?” His features fade into something half shocked and half smug. I have no idea how he pulled it off.

“What does that have to do with- Oh… You’re Stark, aren’t you?”

The smug definitely overpowers the shock. “I still don’t get how you don’t know me. Yes, I did lie. But really though, you seriously do need to get off this thing. SHIELD is a really dangerous organization. Now that your life isn’t in danger, you should leave. They don’t take people they can’t control very well.” He starts to turn away, faceplate slamming closed with a sharp ping.

I grab his arm. “How did you know about the accident?”

He turns back halfway. “You hit my skyscraper.”

“Oh. Wait, did you call them?”

“Nah, they just tend to keep an eye on everything.”

I let go of his arm and stare at the floor, trying to figure out what to do. I didn’t have any luck finding a way home here, but maybe Stark has something. He _is_ a technological genius, after all. He could rival the Fentons. And I don’t say that lightly.

It was as though he read my mind. “Look, I don’t know what you’re looking for, but maybe I could help you out. Just this once. Come on back to my tower, I could have a look into it.”

I look at his glowing eye visors, hiding his eyes. He seems genuine, and I’m not easily fooled after Vlad. He knows this world and what it’s capable of far more than anything I could study for a year. I take a leap of faith and nod.

We exit the Helicarrier, Stark now and then taking sudden and unexpected turns, listening to a British voice in his helmet that I can only just make out. With the British man’s help, we get out of the Helicarrier without running into anyone. I never had to go invisible. I could have of course just grabbed the man and flew us out, but I ended up being impressed with what I saw instead.

Energy shoots out of his palms and feet and he takes to the skies. I follow pursuit invisibly, my duplicates dissipating into mist and reabsorbed. We are just out of sight of the Helicarrier when I return to the visible spectrum and he turns to me and asks, “What’s your name?”

I hesitate again. I almost said Phantom, but no one knew what I was and I knew that gave me an advantage. I reached a decision. At the bottom of my heart, I knew I needed this. I needed something familiar in this strange world. I needed a piece of home.

“Dani. Dani with an ‘i’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KittyCasanova: Thanks for letting me know on both accounts! I changed them up a bit so you don't misunderstand the Hot Guy joke. I honestly forgot about the whole computer merge bit, but that doesn't work with my plot, so I came up with a compromise. It makes more sense than a conveniently low security computer too. Thanks for helping me improve it!
> 
> Johnathen: Good question. Funny enough, later into this story I'll be considering requests to bring various Marvel characters into the story. Deadpool is basically a given since he's so popular right now. But it'll still be quite a few chapters until I get there.
> 
> Curiousher: Glad I'm not alone! The things perfectionism does to us, huh? And thank you! I'm happy to hear you see me making progress.


	8. Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani meets Doctor Strange and finally learns Stark's first name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I have some bad news. Well, good news for me, but bad news for you. I’ve recently been hired to make approximately 140 drawings for an author that I have to get done by the end of the year. I’ve started classes again. I also work part time.
> 
>  
> 
> That’s why I’ve been gone for so long. I also had to move between apartments during my absence. I’m going to be a lot busier in these coming months than I anticipated. So, obviously, this poor fanfic is going to not be updated as often as any of us would like. I certainly won’t give up on it though! So long as I continue to get subscriptions, bookmarks, and most importantly – comments, this this WILL continue to be updated.

I don’t think this guy has ever heard of the word subtle. This has got to be the most eye-catching tower in all of New York. Not to mention he has his name boldly displayed on its side, as if it needed that. I can’t help but see Stark as how Vlad Masters would have wound up if he were gay.

Imagine if Vlad never pined after Maddie. He initially studied ghosts because of her and in doing so, got zapped by the portable portal. I could see Vlad pursuing traditional technology, becoming a billionaire by his own drive, and having his own tower built with his name on it. He’d probably be just as snarky as Stark too.

We came in through the balcony/ceiling. I’m honestly not sure which one it is because of the design of the place. Stark walked down a stretch outside, machines reaching up from the floor and removing his suit in seconds. It was amazing to watch.

He had asked me to return to invisibility before we entered the city so that I wasn’t spotted. I agreed. But now that we were here and inside, I immediately dropped it and had a look around. Literally everything looks expensive. The carpet, the couch, and even the hand towel by the sink didn’t look anything like something you would find at Walmart. They probably even smell expensive.

An image pops into my head of a maid in a skimpy outfit dashing around with a fancy spray bottle simply labeled “expensive” in cursive font and gold. It smells of cash and a hint of lavender.

I turn to see Stark strutting down a hall like he owns the place… Well, duh. He _does_ own the place, but the saying is still true. At this point, I wouldn’t put it past the man to have such a maid… or expensive spray. Maybe deciding to trust him was a bad idea. Could this be a trap? No… surely no one would lead me to a public place to lure me into a trap. Right?

“Ya coming, glow stick?”

Stark is halfway down the hall, standing in an elevator. He’s leaning back dramatically so his head remains in the hallway and he can peer at me.

I float after him, landing at his side. The elevator doors close and the suspended box swiftly lowers itself. Where could we be going? I just need information. Could he be taking me to his own super computer? I eventually concede and ask.

“Where are we g-?”

He swiftly turns towards me and says, “I need you to stay here for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

Before I can fully process what he said, he’s gone. The elevator doors only opened enough for him to squeeze through and close again. Wait, what? What could he possibly be doing?? Is this a trap after all?! I start to pace, second guessing everything and convincing myself to leave before it’s too late.

I’m just about to turn intangible and fly the heck out of there, when Stark re-enters, carrying a large pizza box.

“I’m starving! Sorry you had to stay here, but explaining you to the pizza boy’s not the best way to keep a secret.”

My tense shoulders drop and I remember to breathe again. The smell from the box quickly fills the small area. My mouth waters and I remember that I haven’t eaten since the night before, and it’s mid-afternoon now.

He continues on, blissfully unaware that his guest almost jumped ship. “I got the dozen cheeses one, missed lunch, so this takes precedence. Are you hungry? Do you eat? SHIELD didn’t feed you, cause for all we know, all you eat is radioactive-”

My stomach decides now was the perfect time to growl unnaturally loud. I can feel my cheeks burn, turning an unusual hue. In my mortification, I swear the sound echoed against the metal walls.

He stops himself to chuckle and send a smirk my direction. “You blush green? That’s hilarious. I should get you and tall, angry, and purple pants together. You’d be adorable. Want some pizza? You can eat pizza, right? I got the extra-large, so there should be enough for the both of us. Unless you eat like Thor, cause that’s just the thing I need. I swear, if I take in someone else who eats like Thor, I’ll go bankrupt. How hungry are you on a 1 to 10 scale? 1 being a mouse, and 10 being a dinosaur. And we all know that dinosaurs haven’t eaten in forever, so they’ve got to be starving.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. I have no idea who Thor or the guy who wears purple pants are. “Yeah… Yeah, I can eat pizza. I guess we’ll see how hungry I am.”

The elevator doors open again and he heads straight to a large, reinforced metal door across a short hallway, mumbling all the while about a second Thor. After a quick moment, the door slides aside, showing the largest and most advanced lab I had ever seen. It’s got to be 10 times the size of the Fenton’s lab, and it’s filled with the highest quality tech I’ve ever seen. Half of it I can’t even identify, and the rest are clearly custom made, or he built himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case.

“So,” He throws himself onto a chair, the momentum getting it to roll toward a computer station with 3 screens. “What got you snooping into SHIELD?”

I blink at his straightforwardness. “I, uh… I’m… I need to…” I steel my nerves. I won’t get anywhere if I beat this around the bush. “I’m from a parallel world, and I am trying to find a way back.”

He just stares at me blankly. “Oh, that old nugget. Why didn’t you tell me that before I got the armor off? The solution is literally down the block.” He stands up and grabs the pizza box he left on the counter, then turns and heads back for the elevator. “I’ll introduce you to a strange guy with a strange name. You’ll be buddies. He’s just as much of an odd duck as you.”

I’m finally starting to catch up with his wit. I jog after him, the sudden excitement at the promise of going home giving me an extra bounce to my step. “What do you mean? What’s so weird about him?”

His eyes alight with mischief. “Not weird, just _strange_.”

I ask him what he means, but he refuses to say any more, grinning all the while.

3 minutes later, I’m in the back of a car with Stark. The driver had taken one look at me, then his boss, rolled his eyes, then opened the door for us. He never said a word and once the car reached the street, he never took his eyes off of it.

Stark and I dig into the pizza. He asks me lots of questions about what I am and what I am capable of. I really didn’t know how to answer him. Even though I trusted him enough to confide my predicament, telling him I’m a ghost, let alone half ghost isn’t the easiest thing to say. Something tells me that because he is a man of science, ghosts would be a difficult pill to swallow. So I keep avoiding answering him and he eventually gets the message.

He asks me if I would give him a sample of my blood, which I quickly turn down. He frowns, then changes tactic and asks me about my world. These questions are much easier to answer. Yes, there are other people like me there. We don’t have superheroes or supervillains like here. We have the same president and a lot of the same songs and movies.

Before I know it, the pizza is gone and we pull to a stop, parallel to an older building with a window that has an interesting design over it.

Stark knocks 3 times and the doors open of their own accord. I have a quick look around. I feel like I’m in an American history museum. My musing over the building quickly dissipates when I see a man striding in our direction. He has greying sides on his hair and he wears a red cape. I stare at the cape, judging him for how ridiculous it is to have one at all until I realize that it’s somehow different. The way it sways with his movements, or the way it flares around him, it’s unnatural in the subtlest way. Almost… alive. I decide not to overthink that.

The caped man glances at me then turns to Stark, a corner of his lips raised just slightly. “I never would have expected to see you of all people associate with the dead. Whatever happened to science before fantasy?”

Stark sputters and turns to me with wide eyes. “You’re…”

I open my mouth to respond but the caped man beats me to it. “She’s a ghost. Specifically, a poltergeist. And a really powerful one if she is this corporeal.” He returns his attention to me. “What is your name?”

I straighten. “Dani with an i.”

“What brings you here?”

“I…” I glance back at Stark whose jaw was hanging and bobbing slightly, eyes glued to mine. “I accidently got myself on a parallel world. I’m kind of stranded.”

The unnamed “strange” man nodded knowingly. “Ah, not to worry, that’ll be easily remedied.” He pulls his hands forward and performs a series of gestures I’ve never seen before. Yellow light takes shape in the air between us and turns into a flowing series of symbols. Only my vast history with encountering dozens of unique ghost powers keeps me from yelping and bouncing back in surprise.

After a few moments, Stark jumps to attention again. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Nah, you’re right. This is all just a crazy dream.”

He glares at me. “How can you be a ghost? I’ve never seen anything remotely similar to you.”

The caped man interjects. “Some worlds are more prone to ghosts than others. Certain environments can cause more powerful ghosts to form. Every world has a ghost dimension, but some are more closely linked. The more powerful the connection, the more powerful the ghosts tend to be. Theoretically, if a world is close enough to its ghostly counterpart, natural portals between them will appear. If two appear at the same time in the same place, they could be more. Time travel or universe crossing for instance.” He looks at me. “I wasn’t so sure about that last one, but it makes sense with you here. Is that how you got to our world?”

I can only nod, dumbfounded at the information and his insight.

The caped man continues, “Ah, I’ve got it. Every dimension vibrates at a slightly different frequency. I’ve got yours.”

He turns and raises his hand, a transparent portal with zipping yellow sparks at the rim appears before the three of us. I’ve never seen a portal like this. I take a moment to admire it then give the man a hug. He was a bit surprised, but I’ve always been a hugger. I asked him what his name was.

“It’s Strange.”

“I know, Stark warned me. But I’d still like to hear it.”

He tilted his head then laughed. “Ah, I see. My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. Most people call me Doctor Strange, or just Strange.” I can hear Stark snickering at my side. I roll my eyes at him. “Thank you Stark, for bringing me here.”

He waves it off. “No problem, kiddo. And call me Tony.”

I look at him with a new light. Tony Stark, huh? It has a nice ring to it, though I’ll never admit it to the man himself.

I turn to the portal once again. It’s strange, **(heh)** every portal I’ve ever been through glows green throughout. This one looks more like a suspended ring. I almost wouldn’t think it’s a portal at all if it weren’t for the slight golden shimmer inside. I turn back to the two men to shoot them one last look of gratitude, and without looking back, I walk toward the portal.

My head hits something very solid. In my surprise, I stumble back right into them. They grab my arms to keep me from falling to the floor. I look up. What was once an empty ring, is now filled with something else. A very familiar clock face shines back at me in iridescent green. I glide forward, as though in a trance, Tony and Strange immediately let go as I head back to the blocked portal. I raise a hand to feel it’s very solid surface. I whisper, “Why?” The two behind me and the room dissipate from my mind as all I see is the portal and the clock, my only way out.

I throw a punch at it.

“Why would you do this?!”

A kick.

“How could you, Clockwork!?!”

I fire a series of ectoblasts, each more powerful than the last.

“I finally had a home… a family… a FUTURE!!!”

The ectoblasts are now as large as beach balls.

“HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT FROM ME!!!”

I take a deep breath and unleash the most powerful wail I had ever accomplished. A thousand enhanced shrieks of agony hit the surface. The clock face is unwavering.

I didn’t notice the entire building groan under the strain. I didn’t see the cracks form on the walls or the hardwood floor underneath me shatter and fly in all directions. I never saw the ice infest the building everywhere the wail couldn’t shatter it on impact. I didn’t see the two men behind me kneel on the ground in pain. One of them raises a hand and mumbles something that was lost to the noise, and all I saw was black.

It was far too late for me to see myself fall to the ground, eyes slipping closed as a bright ring appears at my waist.

**Extra-long because of the wait, and the length works for this chapter. I like to keep you all hooked :D Quality over quantity.**

**If anyone got the “old nugget” reference, you deserve props.**

**To be honest, pretty much my only education on the Marvel universe is solely based on the films and Spider-Man comics. (Fun fact, the first comic I read all the way through was the first issue with Miles Morales. What got me into it was the high quality artistic work in that series.) I also have wiki, but while it’ll tell me who they are and what they can do, it doesn’t say how or what it looks like. So, I’m just going to take pieces from everything and mesh them together, regardless of timelines or universes. Just pretend this is another parallel world if it bothers you. It’s not like there’s any shortage of those :P**

**curry-llama: Thank you so much for checking it out! Sorry for the wait. You definitely gave me the idea for the freak out episode here, it worked perfectly for the story. Yeah, I like the idea of a platonic Tony and Dani. Don’t worry, it’s all no slash. The only exceptions are already established relationships in the Marvel universe. Tony/Dani is just gross. Never thought about the emotion controlling powers doing that. That’s morbid, but I guess I never really did clarify. Her own emotional state can have a high impact, so to get it to do as she wants, she has to be calm herself. She can get people to feel what she wants, given the target is capable of feeling that way in the first place, but actions are something else. Someone can be enticed to feel depressed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will kill themselves. Though, I suppose she could get someone who was already ready to jump off a building to do it faster.**

**Guest: Yep! You guessed it ahead of time. Good job!**

**Curiousher: Thanks for the feedback! Sorry I made you wait.**


	9. Father of Time

Many people do not know that JARVIS, Tony’s A.I., was actually named after a butler that took care of Tony when he was a child. Jarvis, the butler, was Tony’s foundation. He comforted Tony when he was upset. He fed Tony. He taught Tony how to ride a bicycle. He was, in every way that mattered, Tony’s father. Jarvis succumbed to illness only a few short months before Tony’s parents were killed in a car accident.

Jarvis’s actions and selflessness continue to impact Tony to this day, though you’d be hard pressed to get him to admit it. Tony still wants to make the man proud, and often wonders to himself what would Jarvis do, or what would he think about this? Which is why all Tony can seem to think is, _everything’s gone pear shaped_ or _I am utterly gobsmacked_.

All he can do is stare as a suddenly very human looking Dani falls to the floor. Tony has seen many things, but at the end of the day he is still a man. Today was crazy enough as it was. A secretive girl who defies logic and science appears in his life. This girl can do seemingly anything, and nothing can stop her. Only minutes ago, Strange dropped the bomb, saying she is a ghost of all things. Tony knows that ghosts are impossible… But this girl _is_ impossible. So, what else could she be? Utterly gobsmacked, indeed.

Strange, on the other hand, has always been a doctor at heart. He immediately rushes forward and checks her pulse, watches her breathing rate, sees her pupil dilation (with his magic since he didn’t have a flashlight on hand), feels her skull for any obvious fractures or swelling, and even has a look at her gums for any obvious indicators of anemia.

Her breathing rate and pulse are a little on the low side and she’s a bit pale, but otherwise he is certain that there are no injuries sustained from the fall. He notices how warm she is, almost as warm as any other human. When he helped catch her after she ran into the clock, she had been as cold as ice. He tells Tony about her health status.

Tony cries, “What?! I thought she was dead. You said she’s a ghost! How can she be alive?!”

Strange ignores him and looks up just in time to see the clock as the larger hand spins, completing an hour’s worth of time and disappears altogether. His own portal had become unstable and vanished at some point during the girl’s powerful screams. That’s when he finally sees it, something white on the ground where the portal had been.

Tony sees this and shouts, “What the hell was that?! What is going on? What is she?!”

Strange slowly stands and heads for the thing he saw, which turned out to be a small, wax-sealed envelope. He picks it up and recognizes the insignia on the wax. “I… I am not entirely certain.” He holds up the envelope for Tony to see. “But this may provide answers.”

Tony looks at it and his nostrils flare in disgust. “Is that from this Clockwork guy?”

Strange only maintains impassive eye contact, though his tense features betray how nervous he is. “We can either read this, or wake her up and ask her ourselves.”

Stark goes a little pale, remembering all too clearly what she had been doing before the Doctor used hypnotism to put her to sleep. He really didn’t want to be caught up in that when she woke up. He knew there wasn’t much of a choice. He cautiously nodded his head. 

Strange nodded and went to stand alongside Tony before he ripped open the wax seal.

 

_Dearest Danielle,_

_There is no easy way to say this. I know that regardless of how I bring this news to you, it will not be taken well. But hear this first, I am terribly sorry._

_There are things I cannot change and things which I am bound to protect. This world that you have found yourself on is one of them. Time and fate had plans for you that you could never be expected to foresee. This world needs you. It may not seem that way at first, but all will become clear in time._

_You must remain here for the time being. You will develop a home here and form close friendships with the most unlikely people._

_Your two newest acquaintances, Tony Stark and Doctor Strange, can be trusted. They will help you settle and adjust. I know this, for as they read this now, they realize they have already decided to do so._

_All the best that time can offer,_

_Clockwork_

Tony and Strange, both being quick minded and intelligent people, finished the letter at the same time. They looked at each other with equal parts of both surprise and resignation etched on their faces, before they turned to see Dani, who was still sprawled on the ruined floor.

After a few tense moments, Tony spoke up. “How are we going to wake her?”

Strange stroked his mustache, fist settling on his chin. “Not here. After what we saw, I wouldn’t risk her reacting similarly upon waking in the city.” He took the time to spin a 360, seeing the full extent of the damage for the first time. “I need to repair the place.” He rose his hands to do so, reversing time on the building.

Tony, who’s known Strange long enough to be familiar with his strategies, doesn’t so much as blink and instead goes on a rant. “How did he know- What is Clockwork? Who could-?”

“I have read legend of a father of time. A spirit, bound to the laws of time yet able to bend it and manipulate it to an extent. He oversees all, knows all, yet can rarely intervene.” Strange, having finished with the building, stops to give Stark a grave look. “I have read of many things and have been all too willing to shove them aside and claim them as ludicrous. But the more I see and experience, the more I realize that many of them hold truth.”

Strange pauses as though in thought. Tony stares at Strange for a while. Strange isn’t normally this forward or willing to admit mistakes. But Tony supposes that Strange is just as shaken as he is, and no one acts as themselves when that happens.

Eventually the Doctor speaks up again. “I’ll need you to carry her for a moment. We need to go to the mirror dimension. She will do no damage there.”

 

**Wanted to get this out quick since I have a little more time. Besides, this was bound to be short.**

 


	10. Back to the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani's had a long day.

My brain is foggy and my ears are ringing slightly. Have you ever woken up feeling like a literal sack of potatoes? Where every move is a battle. It’s as though you went to bed normal and woke up weighing 10 times your normal self. I’m feeling like that.

As I fight to find my eyelids in my haze, I start to feel sharp pressure on my hip bone. I manage a little shimmy and register that I am laying on my side on something hard. After a few more seconds, I slowly pry my eyelids apart.

Wood.

All I see is wood. Wooden floors, wooden walls… Where have I wound up this time? I have _got_ to stop putting myself in these situations. Waking up is torture as it is, I don’t need to add mystery places to the situation. But… why is everything cut off in odd angles?

I blink a few times. Nope, still there. This is new. It’s odd, like a broken, flowing mirror taking on crazy angles. It’s the ultimate house of mirrors. My scientific and mechanical engineering mind is roused into alertness with this new stimulus.

It’s almost like I can see more than the standard 3 dimensions. Each person is only visually capable of seeing 3 dimensions at a time. Some theorize that ghosts don’t really turn invisible, they just travel through dimensions that we are not capable of seeing. Wait, does that mean I’m dead? Is this what ghosts see? Is this the last straw that kept me apart from full on ghost? That’s when the memories come back in one relentless wave.

My heart pounds and I jerk myself into a sitting position, screaming in fright. “I’m dead! Oh my God! Oh my… Clockwork! Clockwork killed me! What have you done!?” I realize that I’m trembling. Whether it’s from anger, fear, or exhaustion, I cannot say.

There’s a nervous cough to my side. I frantically spin my head to face the source of the sound, hands on the floor, braced and ready to lift myself to my feet. Two men stand there awkwardly, shoulder width apart. It takes me a moment to recognize them and several more moments to remember their names.

“Tony? Strange? What are you… Oh no. Did he kill you too?” I tried to sound calm and concerned, but it still came out a bit frantic.

Strange folds his arms. “We’re not dead, Danielle.”

Stark lets out a halfhearted chuckle that sounds more like a wheeze. “Now, you on the other hand… That remains to be seen.”

Strange sighs and speaks lightly but firmly. “I told you that she’s alive, Stark.”

Tony groans and whisper-yells back. “Yeah? Well not ten minutes ago you said she’s a ghost. You better make up your mind, cause she sure as hell can’t be both, _Doctor_.”

Strange’s eyes flashed. I swear he’s on the verge of growling. He says something else but my attention turns elsewhere. I take a look down and see that I had reverted to my human form. Yeah, my belt isn’t much good if it’s deactivated and still in my pocket. Ok, so they saw me transform. That’s why they are so confused. That still doesn’t explain why everything else looks so off though.

I interrupt what had become a shouting match about pulses. “Guys!” They immediately stop and turn to me. I sigh. There’s no point in hiding it now. “I _am_ half ghost.”

Silence drags on for several seconds, then Tony spats, “Not possible.”

Strange looks more thoughtful. “What do you mean? How exactly are you half ghost?”

“I mean literally half my DNA is human, and half is ectoplasmic.”

Tony’s eyebrows bunch up. “Ectopl- Never mind. We can see at the tower.” He looks at me carefully. “Promise not to scream?”

I pause in thought. “Scream? Oh, you mean my ghostly wail?”

Now Tony just looks exasperated. “Ghostly wail? What is this? A children’s cartoon? Who came up with that?”

Dan, I respond in thought. Instead I just sigh. “Okay. I promise I won’t scream. Not that it’ll do any good.” I pause to take a look around again. “I think I might have ruined the timeline.”

Strange smirks. “Close, but not quite. This is the mirror dimension. I brought us here just in case there were any… further lapses.”

“The wha-”

Strange turns and walks away, ignoring me. Tony is a beat behind him, though he spares the time to grin back at me. “Just follow us, kid.”

I’m still thoroughly confused, but I jump to my feet and jog to catch up. Ahead of me, they each displace just like the rest of the background and I don’t hesitate to follow. I’ve been through so many portals and walls, that I never flinch when I walk through anything anymore. On the other side it’s as though nothing ever happened. I send a curious glace Strange’s way. He just waves me off and says he’ll explain in the car.

And explain he does.

I sit on the edge of my seat with my eyes glued to him while my mind is running a marathon. Of course, I didn’t necessarily fully understand what he said, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. Once the man got going, he didn’t seem likely to stop all that soon. Not that he was all the dissuaded, considering I would ask questions at every opportunity. He began using terminology I’d never heard of before and comparing things to medical references. I barely noticed Stark’s loud groan and shout of, “Finally!” when we entered his garage. 

It wasn’t until we entered the elevator that Stark took over. “Jarvis, the med bay.”

A British voice I recognized from on the helicarrier replied, “Of course, Sir.”

I couldn’t help but tense at the unexpected company. “Who’s your friend?” I asked, scratching the tip of my nose in a little bout of anxiety.

Tony smiled, pride practically coming off of him in waves. “My A.I., JARVIS. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System.”

I glanced up at the small speaker on the ceiling with new curiosity. “An A.I.? How advanced are we talking here?”

Tony’s smile became a full out grin. “Practically human. Just a whole lot faster and better at multitasking.” He paused in thought. “And no emotions. No getting sappy on us, huh buddy?”

“Definitely not, Sir. I’m not entirely certain you would be able to handle it.”

Stark clearly hadn’t been expecting that, and he glared up at the speaker.

I just snorted at the man, completely unapologetic. “It seems his sense of humor is on point though.”

Stark rolled his eyes at me, but the tips of his ears are clearly pink.

When we enter the med bay, Strange asks me to have a seat on the nearest cot, then takes off. It’s clear that even though Stark owns the place, Strange is much more at home here. The way he strides about the room makes it clear that he’s never been here before, but definitely knows what he’s doing, and he finds what he’s looking for quickly enough. I can’t help but wonder what sort of doctor he is. He approaches me with a couple fingerpricks, alcohol wipes, and small Band-Aids. I look at them warily, for some reason only just now realizing where this is going. I guess I’m a little too overwhelmed.

I meet Strange’s eyes. “Why should I trust you?”

Strange looks down as though having an internal debate. Then he turns to Stark at the microscopes and says, “We need to show her it.”

Tony halts in his work, shoulders tense, and looks up. “No, man. That thing’s just weird. It certainly wouldn’t inspire _me_ to trust anyone.”

Strange’s eyebrows furrow. “I’d think, above anyone, he would know what he’s doing.”

“Not in my tower.” His voice comes out in a dramatic whine.

I’m starting to see what’s going on. Clockwork left something here. A note or letter, knowing the ghost. And Tony’s afraid I’ll destroy his tower if I see it. I simply hold my hand out to Strange, palm up. “Let me see it.”

The doctor fixes a steady gaze with the billionaire before he slowly reaches for a pocket and hands me a small opened envelope. I take it without sparing the man a glance, taking a moment to observe the wax seal, already ripped open, before carefully extracting the letter inside.

As I read, I can’t help but ask myself _why_. This isn’t an answer, not really. As I near the end, reading gets more and more difficult. The paper keeps moving, the motion blurring the words. It isn’t until I can’t make out anything at all, that I realize my hands are shaking uncontrollably. I grunt in frustration, dropping the paper on the cot beside me and bending over it to read the rest that way.

By the time I’m done, my whole body is shivering. I can feel two sets of eyes on me and I refuse to acknowledge them. There isn’t a sound in the room except for my harsh panting and racing heart that _surely_ they can hear.

I close my eyes in a meager attempt to block everything out. “I… I n… need a minute.”

Without another word, I transform. Pure instinct has me invisible and intangible before I fly through the ceiling, and the next, and the next… Once I’m out of the building, I pick a random direction and shoot as fast as I can go.

 

**Fanfiction.net replies.**

**Curiousher: Thank you! Don’t worry, I’m not saying that I’m taking a long break or anything. I’m just SUPER busy. That, and I’ve been sick these last 3 days, otherwise I would have gotten it out sooner this time around.**

**ShiraYukiShadow: Thanks! Though, believe it or not, my inspiration was more from the comics. I remember in Amazing Spider-Man, just before the events of Civil War, Peter, MJ, and May all moved into Stark’s tower after their house was burned down. May settled in quickly, showed Wolverine who’s boss, and helped a very human Jarvis with the meals. They fell in love pretty quickly. I think the A.I. Jarvis is only a movie thing, probably to put emphasis on Tony’s poor people skills and how lonely he really is. I think the writers made the right call, but you can’t help but adore human Jarvis too.**

**Damix96: Yeah, I’m going to change the timelines (movie-wise) on a lot of things so that it works better. This is more comic oriented. I tell you, it’s so annoying when a crossover is just introducing a new character into an already established story just to enjoy the ride and not make much of a difference. This is going to have its own story. I feel like there’s a lot more freedom and potential this way.**


	11. Operation Infiltrate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Toni reach a decision.

I don’t know how long I spent obliterating a small, secluded forest. But by the time I stopped shaking with fury, I fell to my knees amongst the debris and cried. I cried until my eyes were dry and my mind was blank. Ever so slowly, I regained awareness.

It’s dark.

I can just make out the destruction in the pale moonlight. I’m lying on my side, curled in the fetal position. I roll over and gaze upward. The moon is a thin crescent, high in the sky, and I’m far enough from the city to make out a handful of stars. I’ve always had a passion of space, not unlike Danny. I love the stars and naming the shapes and patterns they make out.

I don’t recognize these stars.

How far could I be from home for this to happen? How could it be possible to travel so far away? How could I be home one moment, and hopelessly lost in the next? What have I done to deserve this?

They say that personality traits are passed on by example. If a parent sets a bad example, then children will more than likely follow in their footsteps. But Vlad never impacted me for long. After I met Danny, I took a complete 180. I traveled the world, not only to give Danny space, but to find out who I want to be. I met hundreds of strangers in my year of travels. So many of them were good people and I got to witness or be on the receiving end of acts of kindness. I felt like they were already living their lives though. So I always moved on.

But the point is, I overcame all odds and became the best person I could be by paving a new path for myself. I’m proud of who I am. By the time I was introduced to the Fenton family, I was ready. I was new. And I was finally comfortable enough with myself to call that place home.

I’ve been good. I worked hard to start my new life with the Fentons. After I settled in, I quickly grew content with not only myself, my home, and my family, but also what was in store for me. I had a life to look forward to. So why? What have I done to deserve being ripped away from that?

I miss the Fentons, people I came to see as my own parents. It was a little awkward with Danny and the whole clone thing, but we got used to it. We’re all still a little off put by the whole idea, so we generally avoided that topic, but we made it work.

Danny. What would he be doing if it were him stranded here and not me? He’s always been the strong one. The one who can take on the world without a second thought. Heck, his own parents hunted him, calling him a “waste of post human consciousness.” He’d just laugh it off, taking it all in good humor. Jazz told me once that it was just his way of coping with stress. I have a hard time believing it though. He seemed pretty convincing. Deep down, I know that a part of me wonders if I’ll ever be as strong as him. They say that it’s good to have a role model. Being a clone and looking up to the original is about as intimidating as it gets.

I take a deep breath and sigh. I should probably head back to Stark’s tower. I’ve been gone for a long time. Tony might have an idea of what I can do from here. I think I can trust him, and maybe that Strange guy too. But it’s not because Clockwork said I could.

It’s not.

That letter has absolutely nothing to do with it. Clockwork doesn’t get to give advice after that stunt he pulled. 

I slowly take a stand, realizing how sore I am from my recent workout, and brush the dust off my hazmat suit. I turn toward the skyline to my left, just able to make out the orange haze from the city lights, and make my way back.

 

* * *

 

I may not be very familiar with this city, but Stark Tower is a pretty easy thing to find if you can fly. Maybe Tony had the right idea after all, considering how much the man flies about the place too.

It was the glowing letters that gave it away, then the overall shape. In the day it was the other way around. But I guess that’s just what happens when it’s night. I’m hovering outside while invisible. I have no idea what to say to Stark and Strange. What do you say to strangers who saw you freak out… more than once?

Sorry? 

Excuse my outburst?

I groan and run my hand down my face dramatically. At least with family you have something to work with. If I did this with the Fentons, I know what would happen. They would rush me, ask if I’m ok, ask where I’ve been, then finally hug me and just say that they’re glad I’m safe.

After all my travels, it’s not like I’m afraid of the unknown. But I always had the reassurance that I could leave and start anew if I messed up. The Fentons were easy. They loved and forgave and forgot more than anyone else I’ve ever met. Something tells me that Tony and Strange are entirely different.

I shake my head. Whatever happens, I better just get it over with. I go through the nearest wall and drop my invisibility. What level are they on anyway? I doubt they’re still in the med bay.

“Miss Dani?” I jump at the AI’s voice and most definitely did _not_ squeal. “Sorry to disturb you. I’ve alerted Mister Stark of your return. He wishes to see you eight levels down.”

My shoulders slowly loosen and I realize that I’m hovering an inch off the ground and hasten to lower myself. “S-Sure. Thanks, JARVIS.”

“My Pleasure.”

I find Tony sipping on coffee in the lab he took me to after I first met him. I couldn’t help but notice the mug had the words “World’s Best Billionaire” on it in bold print. Splayed in front of him are several screens showing playbacks of energy readings on a lone figure showing various abilities in destroying trees. A moment later, I realize that it’s me. I feel like I should be mad, I certainly feel embarrassed, but instead I feel a bit touched. Maybe he was worried about me after all.

He swivels in his chair to face me, placing his mug down. “You alright there, Dani?”

“I’m…” I found it very difficult to look him in the eyes. “It’s sinking in.”

This look of understanding reaches his eyes and I get the feeling that he knows exactly what I mean. He starts tinkering with a small mechanical device I can’t identify. I’m grateful that he doesn’t push me further with questions. I realize that someone’s missing.

“Where’s-”

“Strange? He went home. Said something about running on 3 hours of sleep and expecting an important guest tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” I rubbed my arm, a nervous gesture I picked up after going public on my earth. “How long have I been gone?”

Tony raised an eyebrow and glanced at a nearby clock. “Almost 6 hours. It’s 3 in the morning.” He gave me another speculative look. “You going to be alright?”

“I… will be.” My voice took a sharper edge. “I’m not giving up.”

Stark doesn’t halt in his work. “Wouldn’t expect you to. Do you have a plan?”

I stop to think. There has to be another way. I just have to find it. I can’t search the world on my own, not if I want to be faster. I’ll need help. I’ll need resources. I’ll need eyes and ears everywhere in the world at once if I’m to have a chance - I’ll need… to go back to plan A.

“Stark?” He immediately turns to me, dropping the device carelessly onto the desk. There isn’t a difference made on it. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s his own form of fidget cube. “What _is_ SHIELD exactly? What do they do?”

Tony tilts his head curiously, taking a moment before answering. “SHIELD stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. It’s funded and operated primarily by the United States, but still an extra-governmental military intelligence agency. They are all about protection, hence the acronym _shield_. They are our first line of defense to protect humanity as a whole. From defending the world from extraterrestrials, to locking up a single man to protect him from himself. Safety is always what comes first and there are few bridges they will not cross to keep it. Even if it means shoot first and never ask questions. They have extensive knowledge on anyone with power of any sort. There are few things of importance that they do not know. Which is why you woke up in the belly of the beast. You’re an unknown. They don’t like unknowns.”

I nodded. That made sense. “How likely are they to know about dimensional travel?”

He nodded as though he knew this was where it was going. “If there’s any single thing to bet on knowing something like that, it’s SHIELD.”

“Well then,” I smiled, my lips pressed too thin. “Looks like I have my plan.”

“You gonna hack their computer again? Cause honestly-”

“No.”

“No? What do you-?”

“They might not know about dimension travel now, but someday they will. I’m going to join them. They won’t know about my ghost half of course, but I will. I’ll start from the ground up. What better place to keep an eye on them than among them? I won’t stop, no matter how long it takes. I need to get back to my family.”

Tony looks at me, face carefully blank, but the way he rubbed his hands together gave away how excited he was.

“Alright then. First thing you’ll need is paperwork. I’ve got you covered.” Stark proceeded to hack various governmental websites, installing a fake bio, with a quick picture while I’m human for a profile and a story of a car crash that killed off my last living relatives. He hacked SHIELD and placed my “records” among the newest batch of promising recruits, scheduled to begin training in a couple weeks. The entire process took about an hour.

I’m exhausted. It’s been a _very_ long day. My eyelids are beginning to droop. I can just make out Stark mischievously say, “Operation: Infiltrate is a-go.”

**Fantastic news, guys! I have the most epic story all planned out now. I’ve put a lot of thought into it and decided to make the climax generally based off a Marvel movie (I’ll let you figure out which, *cough* it’s not Avengers *cough*). But it’s going to stray pretty far from it and be from a whole different viewpoint, so no annoying word by word copy crossovers here, k?**

**So even if I did loose motivation to write this and adopt it out, they would get all my thorough notes on where this story is going and you would all still get a pretty entertaining story. Not that I’m planning on that. I would be so picky with who would get it. So many people on here have bad grammar or are just bad writers in general…**

 


	12. No Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani Follows through

Tony offered to let me stay at his tower until the deadline. I thanked him and fell asleep moments after my head hit the pillow in one of his guest rooms. I spent the following two weeks learning all I could about this new world. The first two days were filled with online study that gave me headaches, wishing I could just cram it all in like in that Matrix movie, until I realized that I had a pretty unique advantage that was surprisingly close.

I guess duplication never really seemed like an option for studying before because the only reason I needed to study in the first place was because a ghost attacked the town and I just didn’t have the energy. Duplication isn’t a very good fighting strategy (outside of confusing the enemy or distraction) because duplicates aren’t very strong and take a lot out of you if they’re all fighting at once. But studying 4 times faster is something they can definitely do. All I have to do is intend to remember what they learned when I reabsorb them.

I was sitting in the lab at Tony’s computer while he worked on one of his suits a few paces away. That didn’t stop him from hearing my face palm and half laugh. He turned to look at me with a face that clearly said ‘ _Have you lost your marbles?’_ when I pulled out my 3 duplicates without warning.

He’ll deny to this day that he actually _flailed_ and made a small wheezing sound. His own burning curiosity quickly overrode that though, as he rushed to me to inspect them and ask me every question under the moon. The man is just as inquisitive as the Fentons, possibly more so, and _that’s_ saying something. At least the Fentons try to hold back their questions, but this man has no shame.

After a good 30 minutes, he went back to his work and let me go back to studying. I stayed at the computer along with one other who took advantage of a separate keyboard, one began doing research via hologram, and the last duplicate just stood under a nearby speaker and asked JARVIS questions. Stark continued with his work, though he kept looking back at me and my duplicates and looking away again while shaking his head.

I kept this up the rest of the time, taking a break from duplication every couple days and eating as much as a horse to keep my energy up. Strange visited once while all 3 duplicates were out and chuckled, saying he wished he could do the same. He convinced me to let him have a look at my blood and ectoplasm. He was shocked when he found out that literally half my DNA glows green. He said that really, the only difference between my blood and ectoplasm is that the cell walls change color between green and red. Stark had a look and said that when it’s green it emits more energy and would be easier to track. I already knew all of this of course, but stayed silent while they immersed themselves in debate on the possibilities.

I got to know Tony pretty well during those two weeks. He puts up an immature, careless front, but he’s one of the most passionate people I know. He really does care for the people he brings into his life, which are few, granted, and I suspect that he’s been hurt by a lot of people close to him in his past. He’s wary of those he doesn’t know well, which makes him taking me under his wing so shocking. I met his girlfriend Pepper a few times after her business trip and she told me as much. She took to me pretty well after we had a long conversation during breakfast and said that Tony’s taking to me might have something to do with having a similar personality to James Rhodes, and that our past experiences are comparably similar as far as emotional drama goes.

On the day before I was expected to arrive at base, I felt confident that I was familiar enough to pass as born and raised here. Tony had the man that drove us to Strange’s place before, who’s name turned out to be Happy of all things, take me to a store to get everything SHIELD required the new recruits to bring. It was a surprisingly small list, things like black socks and underwear. I could only bring the clothes on my back, which would be confiscated upon arrival. Of personal or sentimental things, I was only permitted to bring simple stud earrings, a journal, and a bible. I ended up not doing any of those. I never pierced my ears, I could never write anything REALLY personal in a journal in the case someone read it, and I never read the bible and wasn’t all that inclined to start now. SHIELD would be providing all the hygiene materials and clothes.

On the morning of, Stark had Happy drive one of his more inconspicuous cars to the sight, which turned out to be a public street where I’d be picked up by a bus. We parked around the corner still out of sight of the others who already arrived.

Tony turns to me, a serious look on his face, and asks, “You’re sure?”

The way he said that made it clear that a thoughtless answer wasn’t an option.

So I took a minute, thinking about my motivations and how ready I really was. I thought about how much I missed my family. And finally, I thought about how I’ve run out of options and how this was all I had left. I steeled myself, looked him square in the eyes, and nodded.

He made me promise to sneak out and visit when I could, then patted me awkwardly on the shoulder and told me not to be reckless, opened the door for me from the inside, and waved as he shut the door behind me as the car drove off.

I watched the car drive down the street before it turned a corner and out of sight, then swung my small duffel over my shoulder and headed for the pickup location. There are 18 people there, not including myself. I know more than the recruits, and am aware that it is a total of 20 people expected to be here. We’re missing someone. 

At two minutes till, just as a sleek black bus parks in front of us, a girl about my height with short wild brown hair runs up to our little silent group. She’s panting as though she ran the entire way here, saying something about confusing 2nd Street and 2nd Drive. I hardly acknowledge her as we board the bus, the driver checking us off as we pass him. I sit down and gaze out the tinted windows and wonder what I’ve gotten myself into. I finally acknowledge what I’ve been refusing to see all this time. Today is April 7th, my birthday. Today I am eighteen, the age of adulthood, and nothing screams “adulting” more than joining the ranks of a secret government organization.

 


	13. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani gets a workout.

Tony sat at his desk in deep thought, staring at the screen before him for a couple minutes. Slowly, his hands reach the keyboard. A couple minutes later, he has full access to SHIELD’s mainframe. He pulls up the code he put in some time back to track Dani. He hadn’t altered it as he initially intended after coaxing her off the helicarrier.

Tony’s always had a mischievous side. The opportunity to get one of SHIELD’s most wanted within their very ranks is an opportunity he can’t pass up. That’s why he’s helping her. At least, that’s what he keeps telling himself.

She never told him much about herself. She said that she was a hero back on her world and she was adopted. She mentioned having an older brother, but nothing about him. She said that her adoptive parents are inventors, but never specified what they invent. Tony wonders which of her birth parents are the ghost. How does that happen anyway?

He dismisses the thought. Motives aside, there’s no way he’s going to out her to SHIELD now. He alters the tracking code so that it would be more efficient, he has all the data he needs after examining her blood, and work greater distances. He wants to keep an eye on her, make sure she’s ok. He makes sure to give it a bug so that even IF some SHIELD lackey figures out that it’s not notifying them of its discoveries, he or she wouldn’t be able to fix it. Tony would be damned if he’s responsible for them finding her.

~ Dani pov ~

The ride was long. I have no way of knowing _how_ long since none of us could bring a phone or watch with us. All I can say is that the sun was just barely rising when we left, and now it’s nearly halfway across the sky. At one point, the windows all tinted and a barrier came up between us and the driver. We couldn’t see a thing for about an hour. When the tints and barrier lifted, all we saw was a desert. It’s flat, desolate, and just on the horizon I can make out a handful of mountains.

I remind myself of my new name. Sandi Ice. Toni and I agreed that having a name I didn’t particularly like being called was a waste of letters. Everyone always confused me with my brother. We figured Sandi was close enough to get me to turn my head. I asked Tony what he thought my last name should be and he just chuckled and typed ‘Ice’. I just rolled my eyes and went with it. I kinda like it.

I turn to look at the other occupants for the umpteenth time.  There hasn’t been all that much conversation so far. Guess that makes sense, since this sort of situation is pretty different from a high school field trip. A couple people are whispering in hushed conversation, but the whole uncertainty of this scenario seems to be pushing us all down and leave us without all that much motivation to socialize.

Some of them are pretty easy to figure out what SHIELD sees in them and why they have been chosen. There’s a few big-boned men who sit silently and just stare out the window. They were probably hand-picked from branches of the military for their impressive combat scores. I bet they’ll serve as guards or secret service.

There’s one, the largest of them all, who’s the most intimidating. He sits in the back, occasionally taking breaks from looking out the window to glare at the rest of the occupants. His hair is brown but buzzed so short that it’s hardly noticeable.

One boy is very tall but still on the younger side, maybe my age, and sits with his knees propped high on the seat in front of him. He’s hunched over a composition notebook (must have gotten special permission to bring it) that he’s propped on his legs. His long limbs make the position look very uncomfortable, but he doesn’t seem to notice as all of his attention is on whatever he’s working on. If I had to guess, he’s a scientist, maybe a programmer or hacker.

There’s only two girls here outside of myself. I suppose most women aren’t interested in this sort of thing. The first girl is that one who was almost late this morning. Now that the sun is out and hitting her hair, I can see how much red is in it. She almost looks like a full on redhead. She’s one of the ones who is talking. Well, more like valiantly trying to start a conversation. The poor boy she is talking to clearly doesn’t want anything to do with her, as he avoids looking at her and only says one or two words at a time. That certainly doesn’t stop her from trying though. I’m not sure why she’s here. She seems to be the most normal person on the whole bus.

The other girl is blond with a short, simple bob. Her eyes are sharp and she hasn’t betrayed a single emotion the entire time I’ve seen her. Maybe a future spy?

There’s a faint beeping up front and the bus slows to a stop. The driver turns around. “We’re here.”

Startled, I look outside and don’t see a difference. There’s nothing for miles. Is it underground?

The driver ignored our obvious looks of bewilderment and opens the door. “This is where you get off.”

One of the bigger, nameless men shout, “Is this a joke?!”

The driver just stares impassively. “Get off the bus.”

I slowly stand, a few others doing the same. We all exit one at a time, eventually the rest follow pursuit, and have a look again. Still empty desert, only now we feel the full extent of the heat and UV rays.

I squint and hold a hand above my eyes to block out the worst of it. The air in the distance wavers like steam, an illusion of water on the far desert sands. I doubt this is all a joke. Could it be a test? Are they trying to see how well we follow orders? Or is it really here?

I have a look at the distant illusion of water again. Once during my travels, I flew across a desert like this. To entertain myself I would pretend I was chasing the water, I said that if I could only go fast enough then I could finally catch it. But it was always out of reach, always on the horizon.

I slowly turn, admiring this odd phenomenon, When I realize that it’s no longer there. What? Straight ahead of us is a patch of the same desert but it’s… off. The hot air doesn’t waver, and the water illusion fades into nonexistence on either side.

I whisper my discovery. “Something is here.”

I feel our already silent group grow tense as they hear me.

The intimidating muscle man is standing to my side and I see his eyes narrow in consideration and wariness. I turn to see the talkative girl with wild red-brown hair subtly sniffing the air, eyes wide with curiosity. Sniffing? Why is she sniffing? I suppose that if you cannot rely on your sight, using your other 4 senses is the way to go, but smell would have been my last choice. She isn’t making a spectacle about it, but looking directly at her I couldn’t help but notice the way her nostrils are flaring slightly. To each their own, I suppose.

I turn around to see the driver through the bus door, still seated, for confirmation. He’s smirking widely at me, but doesn’t utter a word. Instead, he hits a button that shuts the door and begins driving away, leaving us all here. The bus meanders down the street a couple dozen feet before it turns off road and heads straight for the off area of the desert. An invisible door slides up in its path, I can just make out some sort of garage or parking area in the small hole before the bus is through and the door shut again.

Woah.

I can feel the tall composition notebook kid practically bouncing in place behind me.

Double doors similar to the garage door open up a mere 10 feet from where we stand. We all jump slightly at its proximity.

A slender woman in a black suit with no shortage of handguns stands confidently in the interior of what is now clearly, a very large training camp. She faces us, hands clasped behind her back.

“Welcome to your new playground, recruits. I’m the head of this sandbox. You’ll refer to me as Agent Berger.” She connects eyes with me, grinning widely. “Congratulations, Ice. You’re the first person in the last 6 years to notice the base before the doors opened. I have a good feeling about you.”

 

* * *

 

 

“46… …47… … … 48… …. ….. …… 49…” My arms tremble with exertion. Sweat threatens to drop from the tip of my nose and stings my eyes. “50!” I drop like dead weight onto the cool gym mat, panting heavily. Push-ups have never been my strong suit. I’ve always had a knack for using my legs in hand to hand combat. That became clear here pretty quick. Apparently SHIELD doesn’t make a habit of focusing on strengths.

I’ve been training just about nonstop for the last 3 weeks, far too tired to visit Tony by the end of the day. I need all the sleep I can get.

Tony put me in as ‘potential special agent’ so they want to get me as well rounded as they can. My little bus group has been split by our individual talents and where they plan to put us. There’s only about 10 of us here to train like this, including the bulked out boys and the two girls. The rest, including composition boy, I only really see in passing. Our bus wasn’t exactly the only one that arrived that day, so there’s still several dozen others with us.

The quiet girl turned out to be just as ruthless as her personality. Her movements were cold, calculated, and hard. I’d know. She got a couple good swings at me, not that I didn’t exchange any of my own. I only caught her last name, Green.

The intimidating boy was like a boxer. He was slow, but could really take a punch and if he was able to clock you, he got you good. He’d actually knocked out a handful of recruits, each waking with various degrees of concussions. I never heard his name.

The wild haired girl’s name is Angelica Brookes. Apparently, her Mom thought it was cute since in had the word ‘angel’ in it but didn’t realize that ‘Angelica’ is actually a plant. She said she used to go by Angel anyway, but there’s a mutant with that name and she doesn’t have wings to compete so she said I could just call her Anne. In a word, she’s… bubbly. She is always trying to make friends but I’m the only one who would engage in polite conversation with her, so she pretty much latches onto me when she gets the chance.

Overall, my black belt background and general fighting experience has given me a huge leg up here. I’m hardly the best, but I’m definitely not the worst. I can hold my own here. I have a whole lot more experience in real fights than most of these people, so I’m not worried that I’ll be cut off. I’ll start shining when I’m really put to the test in the real world. I’ll try to avoid using my powers, but I hold no promises when all that matters is that I don’t reveal myself while I climb as high in rank as I can as quickly as possible.

The bell signaling the end of afternoon exercise rings. I sigh in relief. Dinner.

I get up, movements stiff and slow, along with the other recruits. We head for the doorway only to see Agent Berger blocking it. She smiles unapologetically. “Before you head to the cafeteria, all agents in training are to report in the main room for a quick announcement.”

I hold in a groan. Seriously, meals, showers, and sleep are the best parts of the day. What sort of cruel person would delay such gratification? Apparently Agent Booger, that’s who.

We all slowly waddle our way over, the air feeling humid and hot after the utter torture we’ve just endured. Berger stands on the podium, face an almost perfect mask of indifference, but I see the excited fire in her eyes. Something’s up.

“The time for codling is over. Congratulations kids, you’ve graduated from the sandbox. Tomorrow we’ll see just what you’re made of. Succeed, and get promoted. Fail, and you go back to the sandbox. But be aware, if you fail twice, it’s over. You get sent back home where you can tell mommy and daddy all about how the mean agent kicked you out of the spy school.”

I realize why so many of the recruits were familiar with the place and set up. They’ve already done this.

Berger goes on, “You are to report back here tomorrow in full attire at oh six hundred. You will each be given $1,000 cash and left at a drop off point where you will fend for yourselves for the next two weeks, while attempting to fulfill your given mission. Now, what is your mission?” Her eyes run over us. “Locate the headquarters of the X-Men.”

 


	14. Genetic Blueprint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banner is called in.

~ 5 weeks ago ~

“Director Fury, Sir."

Fury halted his conversation with Coulson and reached for his earpiece.

“Go ahead, Agent Sky.”

“I’ve investigated the sight of the disturbance in New York.”

“What did you find?”

“Everything is destroyed within a 5-mile radius, just like the satellite images indicated. It’s a field of trees blown apart. There’s burn marks and some of the trees are frozen solid. A good chunk of the place looks as though a tornado ripped right through here, only everything went one sole direction. And… I found something.”

“Go on.”

“I’m not sure what it is, but it’s a glowing neon-green liquid. There’s a small puddle and a smear on a nearby log.”

“Agent Sky, I need you to gather as many samples as possible.”

“O-Okay? I’ll do that.”

“The more the better. I’ll send transport to pick it up.”

“Transport? I have transport, you don’t have to-”

“Yes, I do. If that’s what I think it is, we need to store it in as many separate facilities as possible.”

He was _not_ having a repeat of last time. He was a fool to store it all in the same place as _her_. Fury ended the call with Sky and turned back to Coulson who still stood there patiently. “We need to call in the big guy.”

Coulson clearly didn’t expect that. “Banner? I thought he was reserved for the Avenger’s Initiative.”

“That was the idea, yes. But Banner’s work on radiation and its effects on both DNA and RNA is unparalleled. He’s the most qualified person on the SHIELD database to figure out just what the hell that girl is and how we can contain her.”

Coulson folded his arms in thought. “How are we going to bring him in? He isn’t going to be happy about being sought out.”

Fury’s lips twitched, possibly with amusement, but Coulson still has a difficult time reading him. “Who do we always send to give a smooth talking?”

Coulson’s shoulder’s stiffened slightly. “Romanova is one of our best agents, no doubt, but sending her out to deal with the Hulk is out of her depth.”

“Who said she’d be dealing with the Hulk?”

 

~ Modern Day, Dani’s Pov ~

 

1,000 dollars, a map, 2 tracers, and a little device to locate said tracers. That is all that I’ve been left with to fend for myself for the next two weeks. It wouldn’t normally be a big deal with my past travels, but I have to remain human for this. I’ve never had to stay human for so long before. I’m really itching to go flying. But I can’t. Now more than ever.

They tagged me.

They actually implanted a tracer into my ankle with a massive syringe and needle. I feel so violated. It would be easy to go intangible and just let it fall out, but I have to leave it there. I have no choice.

It makes me so uncomfortable! Every step I take with that foot, everywhere I go, everything I do, all I can think about is that someone out there is watching it all. I hate it!

They left me in Connecticut. I was dropped off by a plane with helicopter blades in the wings. It was actually pretty awesome looking.

I’m eating a massive hamburger at a local diner. Hey, the food at that SHIELD base was heaven after a long workout, but it still sucked. Priorities.

I keep wondering why they chose this mission. It seems… odd. Why would SHIELD task its new recruits with something so dangerous and nearly impossible? I’d done some research on the X-Men when I studied at Stark’s tower.

Opinions on them are… mixed, to say the least. Professor X is famous for his telepathic abilities. They say that he can make you see, do, or be anything, if he just decides to on a whim. It sounds pretty intimidating, and I’m honestly a bit scared of getting too close to the man. It’s his abilities that keep the location of their base unknown. No one can walk away to tell anyone, he just wipes it from their memory. That’s what everyone says online anyway.

It makes you wonder if the X-Men actually have minds of their own.

Even so, when I was hacking into the SHIELD supercomputer I saw some files on the X-Men, including Nightcrawler. But I didn’t see any notes on being a danger to society or such in their profiles. I don’t think SHIELD has a bone to pick with the X-Men. But why am I being sent to hunt them down? What’s more, why send amateurs?

The only reason I can think of is that this could be some sort of test.

‘… X-Men have arrived and it looks like a fight is inevitable.’

My head jerks up to look at the little TV propped on the wall and set on a news channel. There they are, in… Connecticut?! And only about 10 miles away, if I remember right from the map I studied on the way here. Looks like I’ve gotten incredibly lucky! I dashed out the door, carrying my half eaten burger and leaving a crumpled bill on the table.

The TV blared behind me, unheard. ‘The juggernaut is incredibly dangerous. I advise that any and all residents keep a wide distance and remain indoors for your own safety.’

~ 4 weeks ago ~

Bruce Banner didn’t really know what to think when the small jet he was on landed aboard the helicarrier. First, wow.

Seriously, WOW. Since when could a metal ship, the size of a small island, have propellers strong enough to keep it airborne? Just how long _did_ he spend in Calcutta?

Second, oh my god, they are insane. Banner could only imagine the fortune it must have taken to build this thing. And they want the man famous for destruction on it? What are they thinking?

Third, they must be truly desperate to come to him for help. Banner didn’t know much about why he was here. Romanoff only said something about a new and unpredictable threat and how he was the only one qualified to figure it out. She did promise him that this was strictly a call for Banner and that the other guy doesn’t have to make an appearance.

He wasn’t sure if he could trust her, but that did make him feel a little better.

“Doctor Banner?”

He turned at the call to see Romanoff looking at him expectantly. Her stance was relaxed and her tone was polite. But not once since they have met have her eyes wandered far from him. She knows exactly what he is capable of, but Banner has never seen such wary ease before. She’s good.

Her mouth quirked slightly, and Bruce realized that he’d taken far longer to acknowledge her than is socially appropriate. “Yeah?”

“If you’ll come with me,” They exit the plane, “I’d like to introduce you to our head scientist, Doctor Francis Collins.”

A few paces from the belly of the plane stood an older gentleman with greying hair and a well-trimmed mustache. Before Banner could introduce himself, Collins rose a hand to shake. “Doctor Banner? The pleasure is all mine. Your work on thermonuclear research was decades ahead of its time. Such potential.”

Banner slowly rose his own hand to complete the handshake, a little lost for words. Collins is treating him as a respectable scientist, man to man, _while_ knowing exactly who he is. There was no fear in his words or actions. If anything, the man almost looked ecstatic to see him. He could barely remember the last time that happened. It was definitely before the Hulk… maybe back in school? He remembers that he had earned high esteem and respect from a couple of his professors. Has it really been that long?

All he could manage to get out was a small, “Thank you.”

After Romanoff left, Bruce followed Collins through a nearby door and down a long hall before he finally had the courage to ask, “Doctor Collins… why exactly am I here?”

Collins stopped and turned around, a look of surprise plastered on his face. Bruce inwardly chuckled at how much of an open book he is. “She didn’t tell you? Ah, of course. Confidentiality and all.”

He resumed walking and went into a long and rather entertaining story about the anomaly known as Glowing Girl. “And her blood! I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s green! And it emits a form of radiation SHIELD has never identified before. It’s cold too. It maintains an average temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. I think it actually drops in temperature if it’s strained, but that’s purely theoretical. Literally half of the contents within the nucleus glow green. We think she has to be some sort of hybrid. Maybe half human and half some sort of radiation based life form, maybe alien? We’re honestly not even sure if the normal looking DNA is human. The green half kept interfering with the tests we tried to pull, as if it were contaminated. We were starting to think we’d have to find some way to separate the halves so we could run proper tests, until she broke out…”

“She broke out?”

“Well, more like flew out, right through the walls like a ghost. You should see the surveillance footage. It’s insane! I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. She came right into the lab with me and my crew and destroyed everything. She really gave us a freight. But get this, she also found all the vials we put in storage.”

“What?”

“I know, it’s crazy. We’re not sure how she did it. I think she might have a natural ability to locate pieces of her body, a natural defense. Maybe she can’t convert energy like us when we eat, so she can’t lose any part of her makeup. Or she’ll just… wither away. But again, we were just stuck with theories until a couple days ago.”

“What changed?”

“We got more samples! She must have gotten into a pretty serious fight or had some sort of tantrum because SHIELD found a forest that was completely decimated and there was some blood left behind.”

“Oh…”

“Ah! We’re here.”

They stopped in front of a seemingly insignificant door. Collins swiped his card and the doors slid open to reveal a mini lab. Banner slowly made his way in. “Where’s your team?”

Collins came in after him. “Oh, they’re in the larger lab. We figured you’d be more comfortable here. Only the two of us have access here, well, except the higher ups and the director but I doubt they’ll swing by. But never mind that! You have to have a look at Glowing Girl’s blood. It’s extraordinary!”

Bruce saw Collins excitedly point to the high tech microscope in the center of the room and trudged over. He had a peek inside and saw exactly what Collins described. That didn’t make it any less astounding. The lens was zoomed in just enough to make out a handful of… ‘green’ blood cells and a couple platelets. They’re still alive by the look of it too. Normally blood cells die off pretty quickly after they’re separated from the body. Bruce could only imagine how resilient Glowing Girl must be if her blood is this strong.

He was just about to zoom in when something caught his eye. One of the cells was trembling, even shrinking in on itself slightly. “What is-?” He barely noticed Collins approach from behind in curiosity. Now all of the cells he could see were shaking like the first. He didn’t know what to make of it. Should they run? Watch? He knew next to nothing about Glowing Girl or what she could do.

A bright flash of white from the little screen temporarily blinded him and he was forced to turn away. After a few moments he looked back and in his surprise, he gasped.

Red. These are red blood cells. What happened? One moment they were green and the next… Banner didn’t say anything. He just stood aside to allow Collins a look. He reacted in much the same way as Banner, until he turned to Banner with a look of deep contemplation.

Then Collins dashed to a corner of the room, opened a small cooler and grabbed the nearest petri dish, removing the lid with a flourish. Collins held out the petri dish near Banner, who noticed a few drops of the same glowing green blood inside it. Banner nearly asked Collins what he was doing, but Collins was staring so intently at the dish in his hand that Banner decided against it.

There was a few tense and silent seconds, until a small flash of white originated from the petri dish and the distinct red of blood replaced the glowing green.

“Well, Doctor Banner,” Collins remarked, eyes glowing with delight, “It would seem that Glowing Girl has an allergy to gamma radiation.”

 

**I figured gamma radiation having a similar effect on ghosts like ectoranium wasn’t too far of a stretch.**

 

 

** I’ll write the same in the next few chapters, but here we go. Dani’s going to be sent on some crazy missions. Comment any ideas you have on where she could be sent and who she’ll meet. I’d love to hear them! **

 


	15. Salad-Bowl-Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani catches up with the X-Men... and gets creative with nicknames.

I managed to hitch a ride on a van headed the same direction after I left the diner. I’m standing behind a brick building peering around the corner at the fight. The X-Men may not be ghosts, but they aren’t to be trifled with... for the average person. They are strong in their own unique ways. It’s too bad nearly all of them are one trick ponies. It makes them too predictable. I’ve done a fair bit of research on mutants, especially the X-Men, but I’ve never seen the likes of the man they are valiantly trying to bring down. The X-men are strong, but this guy is giving them a run for their money.

He’s HUGE. He’s got to be at least 7 feet tall, though it’s difficult to tell from here, and he’s built like a bodybuilder. The most eye-catching thing about the man though, is his helmet. I don’t know who designed that salad bowl, but they deserve serious props for being able to convince _air-head-man_ that it’s a fashion statement.

I cannot take the guy seriously with that thing on, no matter how big he is. He can’t even turn his head! He has to turn his whole body to see properly. What do they call him anyway? _Bullman_? He certainly runs like one.

I’m still not sure what his gift is. He just keeps charging at members of the X-Men and they keep dodging. Invincibility? Strength? Whatever it is, it’s enough to scare the X-Men into staying away from his front end.

Back to the task at hand. How do I follow them home? How did they get here anyway? I don’t see any obvious transportation. The surrounding street is desolate. There’s a couple abandoned cars, but I doubt they travel by RV.

Woah. Make that an RV nearly split in half. _Salad-Bowl-Man_ just ran right through it, like it wasn’t even there. What kind of power is that? No, focus. He isn’t my problem.

It’s probably invisible.

The Helicarrier and the SHIELD base in the desert were both cloaked with back-mirror technology. Why not whatever brought the X-Men here? I just have to find it… without flying or turning invisible. You never realize how much you rely on something until it’s gone.

Ok, what gave away the Helicarrier was the noise and strong winds. The desert base failed to replicate the heat mirage of the desert. What could I use to find it? I’m assuming it’s a jet. There’s video online of the X-Men traveling by jet. I could throw stuff and wait for it to bounce off thin air, but that would take a while, and I can’t be seen…

The X-Men know where it is.

I can’t exactly ask them to tell me, but if this guy is as potentially destructive toward the jet as he had been toward the RV… They’d do everything they could to make sure their ride isn’t destroyed in the crossfire. I just have to watch them closely. I’m pretty sure the area is evacuated. Since we… _they_ aren’t exactly fighting next to a dam or power plant, any area they try to steer _the wannabe astronaut_ has a good chance of being where the jet is. I just need to put a tracer on it, and I’ll have this solved long before the deadline.

Watching the X-Men lead _Mr. Fee Fie Foe Fum_ around is my best bet. So I’m just going to stay right here on the sidelines. There’s only 4 X-Men accounted for right now. They must be busy or these were just the first to arrive. There’s Cyclops, of course, who looks like he’s calling the shots. He keeps shouting at the others to move, as though being charged at isn’t que enough.

Another is Nightcrawler, the fuzzy blue teleporter I looked into back on the SHIELD supercomputer. He keeps popping up on _The Bowling Ball’s_ shoulders, only to be swiped at and have to pop away.

Another is Marvel Girl, or Jean something. I remember that she’s one of the few, if not the only, mutant to possess two powers. Telepathy and telekinesis. She keeps lifting heavy objects and dropping them on _Jarhead_. Fat lot of good that’s doing. Still, she’s my biggest concern. I don’t know if telepathy requires concentration or she just gets constant input, but if she makes me, my chances of following them are shattered.

And finally, there’s the ice guy. Ice Kid? Anyway, three guesses what we have in common… He’s valiantly trying to freeze _Stiff-Neck’s_ feet to the street pavement. But obviously Ice Boy’s efforts are no more useful than Jean’s. I mean, I knew the X-Men were a fairly new club, but this is ridiculous. They are going to exhaust themselves before they ever stop _Minecraft-Face_.

I take it back. There is no way that mastermind telepath, Professor X, is controlling these guys against their will. These are just inexperienced kids trying to fill some pretty big shoes. I almost feel bad for them. Almost.

I was so lost in thought that I almost missed it. The group had slowly made its way down the street further from me in their fight. Almost simultaneously, the X-Men began hollering and shouting insults while gathering in one cluster between _IronHead_ and I. It was pretty clear that they were trying to keep the guy from going any further, especially since this was the first time I’d seen them all gather into one very clear target.

 _The Fish Bowl_ mustn’t be all that bright. He fell for it, and charged them again only for them to all jump aside at the last moment.

But I’m willing to bet that I’ve seen all I need to. I head back around the building I’d been hiding behind to jog across the parallel street over still out of their eyesight with all the buildings between the streets in the way.

I nearly ran right into the jet. Nothing seemed unusual until out of nowhere, everything was blurry. You ever try on glasses that are horribly off your prescription? While they may help others see better, they certainly don’t improve your own eyesight. It was like someone holding a large lens of that right in front of you. I reached out and laid my hand on something solid. It’s less than a foot from my face. I can’t believe I had to get that close to notice anything.

A short feel around, and I quickly found a small groove in the aircraft that was perfect to place my little tracer with a strong magnet.

Well, now what? My mission is practically complete, assuming the tracer doesn’t fall off or it bugs out on me. I haven’t even finished my first day! Surely this will impress SHIELD and I’ll get a quick high rank for this… But what if I do more? What if I have a look at the base myself? Is that too much? Would it be considered reckless if I tried? Maybe. But if I succeed, imagine how much I’ll impress the higher ups.

I slowly make my way around the jet looking for a way in when I hear it. A hard smack against a body, said body landing on something hard, and a low groan. I’ve been in fights often enough to know exactly what has happened. It’s happened to Danny more times than I could count. The villain finally got in a hit. A good one too, considering how loud it was.

I freeze at the sound, torn with my options. A small beep later and an invisible door lowered to the street revealing the interior. The jet must have some motion or heat sensor, as it opened on its own. Still, all I can seem to do is stand there until one of the farther X-Men shout “Watch out!” and I groaned, mind made up but not liking it in the least.

I jumped into the jet and transformed into my ghostly alter ego. I made a weak duplicate in my human from, only just solid enough to stand there like a statue and hold the tracer still in the ankle (Hey, it has to be somewhere, and there’s no way I’m fighting as a ghost with it for SHIELD to see.). I shoved her puppet-like body carelessly into a side storage compartment out of sight and flew off invisibly toward the fight.

 

**As always, thanks for the comments! They are what keep this fanfic going.**

 


	16. The X-Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani meets the X-Men... and makes a few mistakes for the day.

I didn't know what I expected to see when I flew invisibly around the corner of the building and back to the fight. Even still, Nightcrawler lying limp beside a brick wall with a clearly broken and bleeding nose and a rapidly swelling eye wasn't a pretty sight. It was somehow more disturbing with his blue skin accentuating the thin stream of red blood falling steadily from his nose and onto the pavement.

Jean stood protectively over his still form, desperately throwing everything in sight at the large mutant making a beeline for them.

I was too far above to make it to them in time to turn them intangible, but there was one thing I could do. I raised my hand and a shield immediately erected between Jean and the mutant… I really need to find out his name, I'm fresh out of nicknames.

The moment the shield appeared, the man reduced his speed until he was standing inches from the shimmering green sideways dome.

He slowly lifted a hand to it, barely restraining from touching its smooth surface. "You learn a new trick?" His voice was low and grumbly, and apparently directed at Jean.

She stared at the shield, eyes wide and slack jawed. Her gaped expression slowly morphed into confusion as she shook her head in reply, eyes never leaving the sole object separating her from the large man.

He grunted, and his hand came down in one swift movement. The shield immediately shattered on impact, having failed to hinder him at all. I never expected that level of power. It was painful. I couldn't hold back the gasp as the remains of my shield evaporated.

My head throbbed and I shut my eyes, cradling my pounding skull. Apparently losing a shield so abruptly feels like a powerful kick to the head. I will _not_ be doing that again. After a few moments, the pounding lessened to more bearable levels and I could think again.

… Why is everything so quiet?

My eyes opened gradually, sunlight suddenly feeling far too bright, and forced myself to look downward.

Jean is staring at me. Wait, what? How is that possible? Is it a telepathy thing?

After a quick glance at my gloves, I realized that I had lost my invisibility. It must have happened when the big mutant rammed into the shield and it broke my concentration. I wrung my lightly trembling hands together nervously, eventually meeting the eyes of the rest of the mutants, who'd all halted to gape at me with expressions ranging from surprise to suspicion.

A pregnant pause settled over the abandoned street for several very long seconds.

* * *

"Director Fury, sir. I've got a 72% facial recognition match."

Fury immediately swept across the large main deck. "What do you have, Pierce?"

The young systems analyst, a boy covered in freckles with thick curly red hair, rolled his desk chair to the side to give Fury a closer look at the screen.

A live video displayed the very woman SHIELD had been frantically sweeping the world for, in high definition to boot. It's zoomed in on her floating in midair, gazing downward with a look in her eye that made it seem as though her mind was a million miles away.

Fury leered internally. They had been diligently searching the web and security cameras for over a month. Why now?

"Where is she?"

"Connecticut, sir.

Fury stood up straight to address the rest in the room "I want a squad down there an _hour_ ago! Surveillance only. Do _not_ engage!" He turned back to the systems analyst. "What is she doing?"

"… She intervened in a brawl between the X-Men and Juggernaut."

"Intervened?"

"She stopped the Juggernaut."

"Send the footage to the profile department."

"Yes, sir."

Fury was about to stalk off before he was called back again.

"Sir?"

"What is it, Pierce?"

"There's GPS signals of two of SHIELD's agent recruits from The Sandbox in the area."

Interest clearly peaked, Fury approached the young man once again. "Who are they?"

Two simple profiles immediately filled the screen.

Fury nodded, taking care to remember their names and faces. The Sandbox only just released their recruits earlier in the day. Those two are either really lucky, or good.

Fury headed back to the profile department to hear what they made of the footage, thinking in the back of his mind. Sandi Ice? What an ironic name, being from The Sandbox and all.

* * *

A clear impassive voice cut through the silence. "Who are you?"

I whirled around to address the speaker, who turned out to be Cyclops. I didn't know what to say. I'd never intended to show myself to these people. Cyclops' lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something else before he changed his mind and shut them again.

It's impossible to read his emotions. That visor entirely covers his eyes and eyebrows. I have no way of knowing if he's angry or just surprised. It's got to be frustrating working with that.

"What is your name?" He asked again, it now being apparent by his voice that he was a little irritated and uneasy. Dang, how long have I been staring at him?

My hand jerked to scratch the back of my neck. "Uh…"

This was the moment. I had to go by a false name at SHIELD because I wanted to keep my name as a ghost. And by the off chance that someone here is from my world or knows of it, the name would be much more recognized.

"Dani Phantom."

A voice behind me piped, "Danny? Why do you have a boy's name?"

I spun to face the Ice Kid. "It's Dani with an 'i', short for Danielle."

The large mutant shook his hea- Well… he did a little back and forth wiggle with his body before facing Jean again, apparently having decided that I wasn't important, and charged once more.

I cursed quietly, zooming down to kick him hard in his side. He kept running though, to my utter bewilderment. He was only a few feet away from Jean and the unconscious Nightcrawler and mere moments from trampling them. I flew forward in a panic, out of ideas but desperate to protect them.

I made a grab at the man from behind, fingers slipping over the other side of the large round helmet until I felt a couple small holes. I grunted, tightening my grip and pulled upward with all my might, ignoring his surprised shout, and lifted him off the ground to about the level of a two story building before flinging him back toward the street, limbs flailing.

My fingers throbbed from carrying someone so heavy with something so tiny. Were those his eye holes? There wasn't much of a chance to ponder that as the man groaned and made to stand.

I huffed in exasperation and muttered, "Just what _is_ this guy's power?"

"Momentum." I looked down and saw Jean gazing at me curiously.

"What?"

Her lips quirked. "Momentum. Once he builds up momentum, no object can stop him."

My head turned to watch the large man charge Ice Boy, who quickly slid out of the way by coating the street with ice. The large mutant slipped over it and fell flat, only to rise again a moment later.

"So, we need to completely immobilize him?"

"That's the idea."

I popped a knuckle. "Ok, that shouldn't be too hard."

Making a ghost intangible and releasing them inside a solid structure never works because, well, they can turn intangible too. But here should be pretty easy.

I came in from behind him again and grasped his shoulders before swiftly turning the both of us intangible and lowering him into the street all the way up to his mouth. I released him before he could grab at me, settling for standing on the street a few paces away.

He groaned, clearly straining to escape. Pride swelled in my chest and I couldn't hold back the smile as I crossed my arms in satisfaction. A pat on my back made me jump slightly, head lurching to meet the red visor of Cyclops.

He grinned at me. "Thanks for that. Dani, right? I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." The Ice Kid approached us with an expression of pure relief. Jean stayed with Nightcrawler though she beamed at me.

I smiled back at them, about to answer when a loud crack immediately brought our focus back on the trapped mutant. A long new fracture branched out from his position in the street. What?

The only visible part of the large mutant, the helmet, shifted slightly and another large break formed in the street before it gave way, collapsing and taking the mutant with it further into the ground and out of sight.

I face-palmed when I realized what happened. The sewer. How could I be so stupid? This street isn't solid! There's a sewer that runs underneath it. That mutant probably swung his legs to break himself free.

My fingers ran through my hair. "Now what?"

In the corner of my vision, I saw Cyclops step forward. "Back to plan A: Get his helmet off."

I eyed him in surprise. "What's so special about his helmet?"

Cyclops' focus never wavered from the new hole in the street where the large man lurked. He answered slowly. "The helmet keeps Jean from stopping him telepathically."

I felt my shoulders sag in realization at how simple this just got. "That's it?"

He broke his concentration on the hole to tilt his head at me. There may have been a quirked eyebrow behind that visor. "… Yes?"

It took me less than ten seconds. When Jean had him firmly under her control, Cyclops shut his gaping mouth before he pulled out a syringe and the large mutant was out moments later.

I watched, wondering why he didn't just do that in the first place. Maybe he was worried the guy would break it? He approached me again, raising a hand for a shake. I hesitated briefly before accepting it.

He asked, "Are you a mutant?"

Ice Boy swerved his attention to me at the question. I could swear he was sending hopeful googly eyes my way.

I internally sighed. Tony had assured me that this world is nothing like mine and that admitting to being a ghost won't give anyone an advantage here, unless I'm allergic to salt. That still doesn't mean that people like conversing with the dead.

My head slowly shook. "No."

Cyclops looked legitimately disappointed and Ice Boy seemed about ready to melt into the ground. I tried to not let it affect me and took the time to observe the destruction around us. I've had enough for the day, and still have to hide in the Jet…

Oh no.

The jet. The mission. I can't out these guys! Damn the consequences, I can't leave good people at the mercy of SHIELD! No matter what title I wear, I will always be a hero before an agent.

I stumbled back in my sudden haste to retrieve my duplicate and tracer, surprising the X-Men. "I… I need to go. I have to… be somewhere."

"Wait!" Cyclops grabbed my arm. I gaped at him in shock before he seemed to realize what he'd done and immediately let go. "Sorry… It's just- How can we get in contact with you?"

I glowered at him for a long time before letting out a slow sigh. "I don't have a phone."

He seemed to realize that I was more referring to preference over inability. He begrudgingly nodded before reaching for a small concealed pocket and pulled out a business card.

"This isn't just a business card," he explained. "If you press these two dots at the same time, it'll alert Cerebro of your location."

I grabbed it, choosing to not ask about Cerebro and still deciding whether I should toss it or not, nodded, and vanished. I made a mad dash toward their jet invisibly, found and removed the tracer, and went right through the walls to retrieve my duplicate. I had just gotten inside the storage compartment with it when the door to the jet opened and I heard the X-Men enter. By the noise, they must have been dragging the large mutant. I never _did_ get his name.

They chatted excitedly amongst themselves, mostly about me and what they saw me do. I stopped listening and merged with my duplicate, returning to my human form when I felt it. The jet lurched upward, taking to the skies.

I stifled a curse. Now what? I'm perfectly capable of leaving, but flying invisibly with a tracker chip is bound to catch SHIELD's attention. What am I going to do? What am I-

Jean's voice cut through my frantic thoughts. "There's someone else on here."

My heart raced. My palms felt clammy. This is very bad! This… wait. This could turn out ok. I reveal myself from my little hiding spot, get a slap on the wrist, and get dropped off back on the ground. The X-Men stay safe from SHIELD, and no one finds out about my ghost status.

I steeled my nerves and pulled at the sliding door, standing ready behind the X-Men in full view. Jean was seated at the pilot's chair, Cyclops in the seat beside her. Nightcrawler and Ice Boy were buckled in the seats behind them, though Nightcrawler was seated at a sideways slouch with his head hanging. The large mutant was sprawled on the floor between them. All the conscious people strained to look behind them from their seats. They stilled and gawked at me for several long moments. Cyclops tilted his head at a sluggish pace and quietly uttered the last thing I expected to hear.

"Dani?"

I froze in terror. What?! How can he recognize me? I'm human! My knees started to shake wildly and I had to put a hand on a nearby wall to stay upright. Breathing suddenly became difficult and labored. I realized that the X-Men were gazing curiously _below_ my face. I slowly followed their line of sight, neck stiff and jaw clenched.

There, still clutched firmly in my trembling hand, was the business card.

* * *

**Thank you RosyThorn from saving me from embarrassment and telling me a little more about how the Juggernaut works!**


	17. Xavier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much confusion.
> 
> Dani's fed up.

I stared blankly at the card, heart hammering wildly in my chest. I couldn't find the courage to look at them again. Not a word had been spoken for around a minute. A very _long_ minute.

I am an idiot. Revealed by a business card? I guess I never inherited Danny's luck.

"You're not an idiot."

I jumped, connecting eyes with Cyclops again. Did I say that out loud? The card fell to the ground as my sweaty hands slid across the metal wall behind me, searching for something to grip. There was no way out of this one. I couldn't fly out, lest alert SHIELD. But I certainly couldn't stay here either. Who knows what that Xavier man will do to me?

I forced a slow breath. "W-What do you-"

"You're not an idiot," Cyclops repeated. "Honestly, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that you were the same person if it weren't for…" He trailed off while tapping his eye lens.

As high strung as I was, I could only seem to manage a look that clearly said _'You are insane.'_

He coughed nervously. "It's… It's like being color blind. True black-and-white color blind people are better at recognizing shapes and patterns, while everyone else is distracted by the colors. I don't know how 'different' you look now, but to me it just looks like you got your hair dyed." He looked me up and down. "And a change of clothes."

My jaw dropped. Danny really did have all the luck in the world. Is that all it takes?

Jean shook her head as though trying to wake herself up. "Wait… it's not her."

Cyclops spared a glance in her direction. "What do you mean?"

Jean fixed her view on my face. "I can't… read you. It's like you're not even there." Her lips pursed, gaze calculating. "That person I feel is someone else. She's still back there."

She?

I froze in place, watching as Cyclops unbuckled without a word and made his way to the back. He stopped to glimpse at my open cargo door before turning to assess the one next to it. He held up a finger to his lips for all of us to see before taking the handle in his grasp.

When the door slid aside, all I could make out was a yelp, flailing arms, and a head full of wild red/brown hair slam onto the floor. Ever so slowly, her arms slid into position before she pushed herself up and peered back at us. I'd know that face anywhere.

I uttered, "Angelica?" at the same time as Ice Boy shrieked, "Anne?!"

Our heads swerved to exchange questioning gawks at one another, before simultaneously redirecting our attention to the woman in question. How does Ice Kid know her? And what on earth is she doing here?

Oh yeah.

This has just gone from bad to worse.

Cyclops knelt down next to her. "Anne, what are you doing here?"

Cyclops knows her too?! What is going on!?

Angelica rubbed her eyes sleepily and gradually gave us a guilty smile. "Are we not there yet? I was hoping we'd be there by the time I woke up."

Why does she not seem to care that she's been caught? And how did she stay asleep through take off?!

Cyclops sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Why are you here, Anne?"

Angelica sent me a quick, wary glance before she leaned to whisper in Cyclops' ear. I couldn't make out any of it. I don't understand. None of this makes sense! At least… I'm _fairly_ certain that she didn't hear Cyclops call me Dani. But how does she know them? Why is she keeping secrets from me?! Did she seriously forget that she's supposed to be spying on these people?

What if… What if she's trying to come out on top, looking like the innocent bystander? Is she using me as a scapegoat? She seemed so friendly when we were training…

No, that doesn't make sense. It doesn't explain how they already know each other. Unless, it's just a crazy coincidence that she's using to her advantage.

After what seemed like a full ten minutes, which was probably only one or two, Cyclops pulled back gradually as though in shock. He stared at her intently for a while before standing up again and walked back toward the copilot's seat. I didn't miss the uneasy glance he sent my way as he passed me.

As he buckled himself, he called out, "You two should take the last seats. We'll be there in a few minutes."

Oh no. Nononononononononono… No!

This cannot be happening! I haven't a clue what's going on anymore, but meeting Xavier is something I will _not_ do. It's dangerous enough meeting someone who can control your mind. But someone who can control _and_ read your mind _with_ his mind? I cannot risk that.

The only reason I can tolerate Jean is because she's inexperienced and she admit that she… can't read me. Could Xavier be the same?

That single thought was the only thing that kept me from throwing all my hard work away and diving right out of that plane. I slowly joined Angelica in the back seats, stealing glares at her all the while.

Traitor.

Not a single word was said the rest of the way. When I felt the jet lower its altitude, my hands gripped the armrests as hard as I could. The metal groaned slightly. No one seemed to notice, thankfully.

The only windows on the jet were in the very front, so I couldn't make out much. It was easy to feel the exact moment the jet landed. And when sunlight no longer reached the windows, I realized we were indoors.

The jet doors opened and though my heart spiked, I told myself that it's ok.

I followed the small group of X-Men and Angelica down the ramp and across the large parking garage and convinced myself that I am _not_ going to die.

We strode down a bright hallway and came around a corner to see a bald man in a wheelchair and I forced myself to breathe.

It wasn't until his bright, piercing blue eyes connected with mine and I was certain that he could see my soul, that I stopped dead in my tracks.

His gaze didn't waver.

I spun on my heel in a jarring motion. "Nope."

I left them behind, heading back the way I came, without so much as a peek back in their direction as they gawked in confusion.

"Nope nope nope nope nope."


	18. Trust

The silence in the hallway was palpable.

Nearly every mutant hadn't a clue what had just transpired. All they could seem to do was continue to stare at the bend the young woman had disappeared behind.

The frozen atmosphere was ultimately broken by Hank McCoy, who slid his glasses back into place on the bridge of his nose. "That was… odd." He turned to Jean, brow raised and a corner of his mouth curled up. "She is aware that the Blackbird has a lock, right?"

Jean stiffened, a guilty expression washing over her features as she deliberately avoided eye contact.

Storm, who'd accompanied Professor X along with Hank, folded her arms and ground out, "What happened?"

Jean hesitated, but Scott beat her to it. "Don't worry! It's locked now. But in the city… that was my fault. The city was evacuated and we were in a hurry to stop Juggernaut so I must've forgotten to lock it behind us. That's how they got in."

That last sentence was directed at Angelica, who blushed and stared at her shoes.

The professor waved a hand. "We can get back to bad habits later. Scott?" Scott held back a wince as he gave the professor his full attention. "Would you mind retrieving our guest? I'm afraid I may have frightened her."

Scott sighed and made his way down the hallway, shoulders sagged and looking like a kicked puppy.

Jean's eyes widened as she fully faced Xavier. "You mean, you can read her thoughts?"

Xavier's lips pursed slightly as his features took on a calculating gaze. "No… No, I can't reach her at all. But I have encountered enough wary individuals to recognize the face of someone afraid of me for what I am capable of."

* * *

The garage is as large as half a football field. So why does it feel so small? My footsteps sounded far too loud as I paced in there. The useless jet loomed over me.

How on earth did I get myself into this mess? It's that stupid tracker chip that made me cooperate. Not that all that work will do me any good anyway. My secret's as good as dead. And to think, all it took was not having pockets and some color blind guy!

I halted in my stride, desperately trying to think of some sort of miracle way out of this. That was why I heard approaching footsteps. Without even thinking, I found myself standing still as invisibility washed over me.

Not a moment later, Cyclops marched in, head bouncing side to side as he searched for me. Seriously, what else could it be?

"Dani?" He called, sounding a little nervous, arms swinging about like he didn't know what to do with them. I quietly sighed and turned my back to him. I wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone.

The X-Men are a fairly secretive bunch. Maybe they'll just keep what they know about me to themselves?

Will they blackmail me?

I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

…There has to be another way out of here. How tough is their security on _leaving_ the premises? Where are one of those lit up exit signs they put everyw-!

Something slammed into my back and before I realized what happened, I found myself facedown on the concrete, gasping in surprise. A low shriek in my right ear about scared me to death, and I fought like mad to squirm out from under the sudden weight bearing down on me.

"Wha- Dani?! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I, I didn't see you!" Cyclops screeched, rolling aside to avoid my kicking legs. "I was just going to check the Blackbird! I didn't think you'd be just standing here."

I sat up and scrambled to put a few feet of distance between us before giving him my best wary glare. Why didn't I just go intangible? What is wrong with me? Why can't I think straight?!

He stayed where he was, face flushed, half kneeling and half sitting.

He ran a hand over his hair and sat with a huff. "It was an accident." He gave me long, considering look. "Look… you know you're not in any danger here, right? Why did you run off like that?"

All I could seem to do was fix a look of exasperation at him while my mind raced on what to say. Eventually I settled for honesty. "How can you trust a man who can steal all your secrets and make you do, _be_ , whatever he wants?"

"…Oh, _that_." He collapsed down on the floor in star formation, staring blankly up at the high metal rafters. It wasn't until several very long minutes passed that he spoke again.

"Do you know what the X-Men stand for?"

One of my eyebrows rose. "Peace?"

He snorted. "It's a bit more complicated than that. We fight for mutant rights, but we also fight for the common people. A lot of us have been bullied or abandoned before we found ourselves here, but we would still save those people who wronged us if they were in danger. I guess that, despite everything, we believe that in the end it's the best in people that will overcome it all. We're just trying to pave the way to living together peacefully without having to segregate ourselves."

"… Still sounds like peace to me."

He rolled his face in my direction so I could see his half-hearted scowl. "The _point_ being, how are we supposed to believe in the best of people if we can't even trust each other?"

That caught me off guard. Trust isn't something I have ever felt like I could just throw around. That's far too dangerous. But… he does have a point.

It was unexpectedly all too difficult to look him in the eyes after he said that. I resorted to glowering tiredly at the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I heard his boot scrape the floor as he stood and walked to my side. A hand came into my vision, palm up, silently offering to help me up.

"Will you come back? They really just want to talk."

I let him stand there awkwardly for a few moments before tilting my head up and fixing a steady gaze at his face. "Promise?"

A hint of amusement crossed his features. "So long as you don't try to hurt anybody, yeah. You'd be surprised what the students get away with here, even with a couple telepaths on campus."

Interest peaked, I accepted his outstretched hand and stood beside him, feeling surprisingly calm and reassured. It wasn't until we made it back to the hallway, that I realized he said _students_ … and _campus_?

This is a school?!

A mutant school. How long will it take before this world stops surprising me? I expect the unexpected with ghosts in stride, but it feels entirely different with the living. The X-Men are known as a super powered team, not school guardians! What next? Is Spider-Man secretly blind and Daredevil actually a teenager?

We rounded the same corner again, and I was surprised to see that most of the others had gone, leaving Xavier alone to wait for us. He smiled pleasantly and greeted the two of us.

"Good to have you back, Scott," Then Xavier held out a hand to me for a shake, smile still held in place. "I don't believe we've met."

My right hand twitched before reaching to firmly clasp his own. If he noticed how unusually cold my hand was, he gave no indicator of it.

"Dani." I replied.

His smile gradually went from slightly forced, to pleased. I must have done something right.

"Scott? Would you mind assisting Jean with making accommodations for our large and unconscious guest?"

"Of course, Professor."

And like that, it was just me and the founder of the X-Men in the hallway.


	19. False Advertisement

Nicholas Fury sat alone in his office, his head beginning to throb.

First, Glowing Girl left the area before any SHIELD agents could reach her location. Now, another mystery just _had_ to rise.

Something isn't adding up.

Both Sandi Ice and Angelica Brookes had already accomplished their recruitment tasks. It's nearly unheard of, finishing in a day. So, naturally, Fury decided to have a closer look at their files.

Brookes checked out fine, as far as the file goes anyway. Just a girl with a lot of skill, and homeschooled of all things.

Ice's file states that she was found and recruited as a potential agent after graduating from a marine boot camp. She was trained as a marine, by marines. The only problem is that trainers in the Sand Pit noted that her fighting style looks like a mix between street fighting and karate.

It doesn't make sense.

While it's not unusual to have a background in combat before going to boot camp, to graduate as a marine without any of her training sticking? That's physically impossible. Muscle memory would never allow it.

Just what _exactly_ is going on here?

Did she manage to pass the combat phase by her own strategies?

Only one way to find out.

After a minute of searching, Fury dialed the head drill instructor.

"This is Baron."

"I'm looking for information on a former recruit from your station."

"Who is this?"

"Nick Fury."

"… _The_ Nick Fury?"

"Does this sound like a prank call?"

"N-No! ... Sir. Who is it you wanted to…"

"Her name is Sandi Ice. She graduated last year in the fall."

Fury heard a file cabinet screech open.

"Could you spell her last name for me?"

"I-C-E"

Baron could be heard sifting through papers, muttering 'Ice.'

"I'm sorry, sir. You may have the wrong station. I don't have anyone by that name."

Fury slid his chair back and stood. "Are you certain?"

"Here, let me look at the list of graduates from then."

The sound of typing just barely reached the phone speaker.

"There she is! I'm pulling up her profile now," A pause, "That's odd."

"What is?"

"There's no picture. There's _always_ a picture. I don't see any contact info either… This doesn't make sense. We couldn't even legally take a recruit without emergency contacts, but there aren't any here."

"Do you recognize her name, by chance?"

"No… Director Fury, I've been a drill instructor for nearly 20 years now, and I've never seen this before. There aren't any physical records here, and the digital ones are meager at best. If I didn't know any better, I'd say our computer systems have been…"

"Hacked."

"Yes."

"Thank you for your time, Baron."

Fury hung up before Baron could reply.

Who is Sandi Ice?

Fury closed his eye and let out a slow exhale.

It's likely that she's a spy. The question is, for who?

Well, they _do_ say to keep your enemies close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Know! Super short. I was going to add this to the beginning or end of the next chapter, then realized that it holds its own. Plus, it's only been... not even a full two days since my last update, so forgive me!


	20. The School

I glanced at Xavier, only to look away again the moment I saw his eyes.

He was saying something; I knew he was. I just couldn't seem to focus enough to manage listening. I wrung my hands and focused on my breathing. Literally _every_ other encounter I'd experienced, or that I heard of, involving mind control ended with people hurt.

Befriend a guy who can mind control you?

Unheard of.

It's like trying to make a deal with the devil... or cuddle with a cactus.

I was just waiting for a sign to run. Do his eyes glow when he tries? Does he need eye contact to do it? How wide is his range? Could I get out of here in time? Does he need to focus to maintain his control, or can he make permanent changes?

A hand grasped my elbow.

I jumped, an undignified squeak escaped my lips as I jerked my attention back on the man. He gazed at me, concern stretching over his face.

He frowned, let go of my arm, then spoke slowly, carefully. "There is no possible way I can prove to you that your mind will remain yours while you are here. All I can give you is my word that I will respect your wishes. Be that as it may," He tilted his head, "Would you believe me if I told you that I actually cannot read your mind right now?"

My heart rose to my throat, but I fought through it. "I… I don't know."

Xavier sighed. "You're hardly the first person to feel this way, and I doubt you'll be the last."

He eyed me curiously. "Would you like a tour of the campus?"

That was when I remembered the chip in my ankle. I rubbed my arm as guilt washed over me.

"Sure."

It's odd, following someone who travels via electric scooter. He's much shorter, for one. I've always been short, so to have the top of his head barely the height of my shoulders feels strange.

The other bit was his mobility. The scooter moved slowly, and I had to be careful to match his pace. I was always trying to maintain a small distance, the ever rotating wheels keeping me instinctually at bay.

I'd never walked alongside a wheelchair handicapped person before! Can you blame me? It's like walking with a car. You can't seem to make yourself get too close, and you have to make sure there's ample room to turn.

The mindreading topic never came up again. He led me to a large elevator, silver and modern in design like the hallway, which was what made the scenery when the elevator doors opened up on the floor above feel so abrupt.

Wood.

Again.

It reminded me of Strange's place. We'd only gone up one floor and it felt like an entirely different building. What's the theme of the floor above this one? Stone?

I would have sworn that I really _had_ gone back to visit Strange if it weren't for all the kids frolicking about. Children as young as preteen and as old as their mid-twenties contentedly romped here and there in what appeared to be a large lobby. There were at least a couple dozen that I could see. They all seemed like normal people from first glance.

That is, until I looked a bit closer. A little boy with a long brown tail cackled as he was chased by another child about his age. A teenage girl playing cards in a corner had black for the whites of her eyes. An older boy strode into the scene; he had great big white wings that, while folded, were as large as he was.

My mouth opened as I was about to ask Xavier just how many mutants were here when I realized I was all too late. The elevator doors, upon waiting for activity, had shut again on their own, leaving me still in its metal confines. Turning in embarrassment, I gathered the fact that Xavier must have rolled forward as I stared transfixed at the occupied room.

My hands scrambled for the button, waiting for the elevator to run its course. I wasn't about to go flying with so many witnesses. When I finally found myself back on the right level, doors sliding open to the familiar room of chaos, my eyes immediately found the Professor who'd turned to wait for my re-arrival.

Xavier raised his eyebrows at me, amusement in his eyes while his mouth held fixedly stiff.

At least he has courtesy.

Heat rushed to my face as I tried in vain to retain what dignity I had left and joined him on the floor.

Without a word, he continued on his way as though the last minute hadn't happened. It wasn't until we left the lobby room that he began to tell me about the school. He talked about how it was once a mansion he'd grown up in and inherited. He showed me the cafeteria and mentioned the food schedule and even the menu. He even wheeled past a hallway full of dorms, explaining how they arranged splitting the different sexes of minors and age groups.

A knot of dread and guilt formed in my throat as time passed, leaving me barely able to speak. Xavier introduced me to a handful of what I could only assume were mutant teachers. One in particular stood out. He was covered, head to toe, in bright blue fur. He had a thin pair of spectacles sliding down to the tip of his nose and a thick book clasped tightly under his arm.

They were all polite, if a bit suspicious. I could only nod at them with a small smile as what felt like a gaping hole formed in my chest.

SHIELD will ruin this place.

And it will all be my fault.

They seemed to quickly figure out that I wasn't feeling talkative before excusing themselves. Introductions finished for now, Xavier led the two of us outside down a brick path. I wandered after him, feet dragging slightly against the ground in protest. When did that start happening?

It took me a moment too long to realize we'd stopped moving. Upon looking up, I saw Xavier observing me in concern.

"I couldn't help but notice you seem a bit down."

I stared at my shoes, biting my lip. "I shouldn't be here."

"And what do you mean by that?" the voice was soft, if a tad tense. I still didn't look up.

"Just, I… _We_ … We need to leave."

"Why do we need to leave?"

I forced my eyes back at his penetrating gaze. "SHIELD knows where you are now. I don't know how long you'll have."

Rather than alarm, his face only held curiosity. "Are you an agent trainee?"

My jaw stiffened. "Yes."

Xavier casually leaned to the side, resting his temple on a finger. "Well, that explains a lot."

He didn't sound angry at all. If anything, he was relieved.

Why does nothing make sense?

"You don't understand. SHIELD is-"

"SHIELD and I are allies." he said with certainty.

My eyes widened. "B-But why would they send me to-"

"We have an arrangement. SHIELD has known of the school's location for years, but the public remains in the dark. SHIELD occasionally sends its trainees to look for us. It's one of the safest missions they can arrange, since no one here will harm anyone. In exchange, my students and myself also learn how to better hide our footprints. We always get a report on how we are found each time it happens. The agreement between us has saved us both a lot of work, and even lives."

I could feel my mouth gape, though I couldn't find it in me to search for the muscles to shut it.

Xavier continued. "Normally, I would erase the memories of the trainees as an extra safety measure."

My mouth shut with an audible crack.

Xavier acted as though nothing was amiss. "But in this case, it may be best to leave you as you are. You aren't quite human yourself, are you?"

I peered at him, scrutinizing his words. "Why?"

His gaze remained steady. "Whatever you are, mutant, inhuman, alien, whatever it may be, people like us have to have one another for support. I may not be able to read you normally, but thus far, you have been nothing short of trustworthy. That would be enough for me. But, I have nearly a hundred students here, and a thousand more who could be in jeopardy if this place were compromised. I take being their caretaker very seriously. And so, I must ask something of you," his gaze shifted. Almost… apologetic? "I am going to have to assure that you _are_ trustworthy, for their sake."

Where is he going with this? "You said that you can't read my mind."

He stiffened, if subtly, as though waiting for me to hit him. "I have noticed that that isn't necessarily the case during physical contact."

The blood rushed from my face. Physical contact. When did that happen?

_My right hand twitched before reaching to firmly clasp his own. If he noticed how unusually cold my hand was, he gave no indicator of it. "Dani." I replied. His smile gradually went from slightly forced, to pleased. I must have done something right._

_A hand grasped my elbow. I jumped, an undignified squeak escaped my lips as I jerked my attention back on the man. He gazed at me, concern stretching over his face. He frowned, let go of my arm, then spoke slowly, carefully._

How much did he get from that? How could I be so stupid. Is this what he does with everyone? Lure them into a false sense of security then take them by surprise? How hasn't anyone figured it out by now that he needs physical contact?

No, I'm jumping to conclusions. There's reports on him mind controlling over distances. Heck, there's helmets proven to protect minds from his abilities.

Why would he tell me his limits? He loses his advantage. There's no guarantee that he'll do anything he says once he has control. What's to stop me from just leaving right now? We're outside. I'm sure I could outrun him. Worst case scenario, I could _definitely_ outfly him. What assurance does he have that I won't just run for it?

He isn't alone.

The thought overcomes my mind like a smothering blanket. Stiff as a board, I turn halfway to look back at the school, keeping Xavier in my peripheral.

There. A woman I saw earlier, one of the teachers, stood just inside the outer glass doors, surveying us like a hawk. She was black with long stark white hair, almost as white as my ghost form.

Storm. I remember reading about her. As the name implied, she controls the weather. Did Xavier see enough of my past know about the susceptibility to lightning? Or was it a lucky guess?

I didn't realize I was hyperventilating until Xavier spoke.

"Dani. You need to breathe more slowly. Use your diaphragm, in through the nose and out the mouth."

Lightheaded, I mindlessly followed his direction, slowly turning back to him.

Xavier held a hand out as though to grasp my shoulder or rub my arm before he thought better of it and pulled back. "Storm is only there for my safety and for the students. She's very protective, you see."

I only glared at him as my breathing got under control.

Is SHIELD really allied with him? Sure, they're not exactly the most respectful of sorts, but I cannot disagree with their ultimate goal. SHIELD would never send their future agents after a manipulative and dangerous mind controller, right?

Xavier waited patiently, gazing at me in such a way that seemed to say, _I know you'll make the right decision_. Why did he tell me what kept him from reading my mind? The more I asked myself, the more I realized that there was only one answer.

He chose to trust me, to give me a chance. Should I do the same?

Trust. Ha.

Cyclops would be proud.

My mind was the only thing I could call mine when Vlad raised me. I told myself that it would still be mine after this. I wasn't sure I believed myself.

I held out a hand to him as though to shake his hand, elbow locked. A little part of me was proud that my hand didn't shake.

Surprise overcame his face, which gave way to gratitude. "Thank you, Dani. I must say, you keep surprising me."

His hands eased to mine before he clasped it in reverence. I flinched, eyes squeezed shut, ready for a painful experience.

None came. I didn't feel anything at all. My eyelids eased open only to see his own eyes closed in concentration as he bent over my hand. I shifted my weight to one foot. Just how long does he need? How deep is he going? I waited for a few painfully long minutes.

I was debating pulling back and telling him that was enough when he let go. Eyes watering, he gazed up at me in wonder and in a new light.

"You are a remarkable young woman; you know that right?"

I gaped, jaw opening and closing like a fish. "Why are you crying?"

He wiped an eye and smiled up at me. It was the warmest smile I'd seen in a long time.

"Have you heard of Laura?"

I shook my head, brows furrowed in my confusion. "No?"

"You may have read an article about her as Talon."

My head shook again.

"She is Wolverine's clone. She was raised and trained to be a soldier, an assassin, to replace the original and work for the wrong people. You two are very alike. You're both very head strong and independent. Young, but smart. Arguably too smart for your own good," he said that last part with a wink. "But most of all, you're both still looking for your place in the world."

I thought I was alone. Someone else relates on a level I thought I'd never see. A selfish part of me rose up, glad that she was out there. Somewhere.

The Professor watched me. "Perhaps you two should meet sometime."

I swallowed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that."

The moment was broken by a shout.

"Professor!"

A girl ran up to us, right through the wall of the school. She was maybe a couple years younger than me. Skinny, brown hair. She ignored me entirely. "Professor! Did you see the news!?"

Xavier turned his attention to the younger teenager. "Nothing recently, Kitty. What is it?"

She grabbed his arm and tugged as though she had no qualms against pulling the bald man right out of his wheelchair. "You just have to see it!"

Xavier must have realized that she was more excited than nervous. He chuckled lightly. "Lead the way."

I followed both of them as we headed back into the school, Kitty impatiently pulling Xavier along as if it would make his electric scooter go faster.

We came back to the lobby room where everyone present murmured excitedly, eyes glued to a screen. I immediately recognized the footage as what must have been from the town I found the X-Men in.

I was in it.

A woman spoke as the footage played.

'-questions everyone is asking. Who is she? Where did she come from? What can she do? Is she a mutant, or a lab accident? Do we have a new hero in our midst? A team is analyzing the footage. We'll give you more as this new mystery unravels.'

* * *

 

**Hoo boy! This wound up being very long. One of my longest ones.**

**I need a name the news is going to give her. I was thinking maybe 'The Apparition.' Let me know what you think! Agree? Other ideas? Let me know!**


	21. Cause and Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani learns more about Anne and Fury learns more about Dani.

I stared at the TV, transfixed on the situation I found myself in.

I'm in the public eye again. I knew it was going to happen eventually. I guess I was just stupid enough to think it would be a planned thing.

This time isn't going to be the same as back in my world. People were fairly accepting of my existence since Danny already paved the way for me. Here, people don't even believe in ghosts.

Where do I even start?

Would anyone even believe I'm a ghost if I said I was? I'd looked into belief in ghosts here. This world still has the basic folklore on ghosts. They even have the same classic movies like _Ghostbusters_ and _Casper_. But outside of YouTube videos on moving shadows or slamming cabinets, which the authenticity is still up for debate, there's absolutely no hard proof of ghosts anywhere.

It'd probably just be easier to claim I'm an inhuman. A chemical spill conveniently gave me ghostlike powers. No one would question it.

"Sandi?"

I mentally shook my head. Right. That's my name.

I turned to see Anne standing beside me with a look of concern. It felt like a lifetime had already passed since I last saw her.

"Yeah?"

She took a moment to bite on her lower lip before she spoke. "Are you ok? You looked a little lost there."

I brushed my raven hair out of my face. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

Her face lit up in realization. "Oh, about her? The new superhero? Crazy how we missed her, huh? She was _right_ there with Cyclops and the gang! What I would have given to have seen her too..."

My eyes blinked. She doesn't know?

Xavier cleared his throat before I could question it. "An aircraft from SHIELD will arrive in the next five minutes to pick the both of you up. It would be best if we took this conversation outside."

* * *

Our ride's arrival didn't take long.

Anne and I sat in the rear of the oddly designed aircraft I couldn't name. Anne's leg bounced, a half smile fixed on her features. She looked like she was on cloud 9. If she noticed my questioning stare, she didn't regard it.

I eventually gave in, unable to contain my questions. After a quick look around to make sure no one would hear us, I finally spoke my mind.

"So, you know the X-Men."

She looked at me in surprise, as though she'd forgotten I was there. "Yeah, pretty great huh? I'm so lucky."

My eyes narrowed. Is she dodging my unspoken, but blaringly obvious question? Surely she isn't dense enough to not realize what I'm really asking.

"And just how does one come to know the X-Men?"

Her leg stopped bouncing and her full attention came to me.

"They… They didn't tell you?"

Wait. What? Wasn't that my line?

Anne bit her lip again, clearly having an internal battle. "I guess it's ok to tell you. It's a secret though, ok?"

What on planet earth is happening?

"…Sure?"

She grinned and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I'm a mutant."

My jaw dropped.

I feel like an idiot. It's so obvious! Seriously, what else could it have been?

She giggled at my reaction. _Giggled_. "I'm on a mission, right? See, mutants have a really bad reputation. I'm here to serve my country and once I gain SHIELD's trust, I'll out myself and start changing public opinion. Hopefully. That's the plan anyway."

For a brief moment, I felt the obligation to return the gesture and tell her about my own mission before the idea was hastily dismissed. She may be trusting like the rest of the X-Men, but I'd had enough reveals for one day. The less who know, the better.

I forced an enthusiastic grin on my face. "That's awesome! You're a real life double agent. What can you do?"

Her smile was almost ear to ear. "I can turn into a fox."

That's interesting. I don't remember reading about any mutants that turn into animals.

That's when I remembered the day we were brought to the desert base and when she sniffed to look past the illusion. That must have been how she found the jet too.

She's dancing on a very dangerous line. I'm not sure if she really understands what she's gotten herself into. If she is careless on her future missions, she's toast. If SHIELD finds out about her too soon, she's toast. If anyone with a grudge against SHIELD finds out about her, she's toast.

If I out her, she's toast.

Why would she choose to say anything to me? Is she stupid?!

I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat. "Why would you tell me this?"

Her broad smile eased slightly. "Well… because The Professor trusts you, and I trust The Professor. He saved me from a mob that attacked me. I could have… I almost died."

Trust. I'm starting to hate that word.

It took me a moment to arrange my thoughts into coherent words. "Who… what kind of person would attack you just because you can turn into a fox?"

Her smile vanished entirely. Anne's face transformed into a much older soul. It was clear that she was burdened with far more than she usually let others see. Her eyes glazed over as she turned to face the opposing wall.

"Neighbors, peers, old friends… family," she stopped to take a deep breath. "The first time I transformed, I was 12 and at a cul-de-sac party with anyone who lived close by and anyone we invited. There were dozens of people. There was an inflatable slide, apple bobbing, a watermelon eating competition… and a grill. I was standing in line with my paper plate waiting for the first batch of burgers. I was enjoying the smell so much that I guess I resorted to my primal desires.

"I wasn't aware of what happened at first. All the new sensations were so overwhelming. I just know there was a lot of shouting and smells I later recognized as fear and anger. Then there was pain… That was when the X-Men arrived. I've stayed at the school ever since."

She fixed her gaze on me with a fire in her eyes. "Fear makes good people do cruel things. I just… I want to take that fear out of the equation. If I could do that then, maybe, I can stop it from happening to anyone else."

I stared at her, heart breaking. How foolish I was, to label her as the overly cheerful one and leave it at that. I of all people should know that appearances can be deceiving.

Being without the right words to say, I leaned over and gave her a side hug. I didn't let go until we landed, despite all the odd looks I got from the other two passengers. This girl has been through too much for anything less.

* * *

I was surprised to find that we were on the Helicarrier.

Hello darkness, my old friend.

Anne and I were led in for questioning. We were assured that it wasn't an interrogation and that it was all just protocol.

Anne was led into the room first while I was told to wait outside. SHIELD has everything ridiculously organized. And since Anne's last name is Brookes, she's the first in the alphabet out of the two of us.

Finding no seats, I leaned against the plain wall next to the door with my arms folded. The hallway was abandoned. The only thing I could hear outside of my own breathing was muffled scuffles from the floor above and a low mechanical hum.

I was beginning to zone out and daydream when I heard excited murmurs down the hall. Two middle aged men in white coats rounded a bend and headed my way. The taller one had a receding hairline and a well-trimmed beard. The other had brown hair and hadn't buttoned up his white coat. I could see a light purple formal shirt underneath. He listened attentively as the taller of the two spoke animatedly about serums and chemical processes.

I found myself leaning on the wall much harder than before as a strong sense of vertigo washed over me. I locked my knees to keep myself from falling and stared stubbornly through the rapidly closing tunnel vision as the men got closer.

The last thing I heard was shouting as rough hands grasped my arms.

* * *

Bruce Banner was nothing short of exhausted.

Collins is a nice guy and all, but the man can talk your ear off. Still, Banner holds him in high esteem. Collins really knows what's what. And he doesn't treat Banner as any less than human.

That's the best part.

Banner felt as though he owed Collins just for that small courtesy. So the very least Banner could do is listen when Collins speaks. Even if he seemed to always be doing that.

They'd taken a break from their inconclusive work for a late lunch. After taking a turn down the bleak grey hallways, Bruce noticed a short girl with long black hair leaning against the wall. Normally something like that wouldn't grab his attention. He'd seen plenty of new faces here. But this girl was wearing casual.

No one ever wears casual on the Helicarrier. No one that he'd seen, anyway.

Bruce fixed his gaze on the new mystery. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have noticed her heavily sag into the wall and face grow pale as a sheet just as he walked alongside her.

Bruce didn't hesitate to halt his stride. "Er, mam? Are you alright?"

She didn't acknowledge him. Her unseeing eyes were half closed and her jaw hung. Without warning, her knees buckled.

Bruce jolted forward and grabbed her arm to keep her from hitting her head. Collins, who'd stopped when Bruce had, sprung to action and grabbed her other arm. Together, they slowly lowered her to the floor.

The most common cause of passing out is when not enough oxygen reaches the brain. The two scientists knew that the best thing to do would be to lower her head so that her heart wouldn't have to fight gravity.

The moment she'd been settled on the floor, Bruce checked for a pulse and listened to her breathe. Her pulse was erratic and far too high while her breathing was shallow. He could hear Collins make a call for medical behind him. When Bruce reached two fingers to feel for her pulse again, the girl began to twitch below him.

Out of nowhere, one of her arms swung and slammed against the wall. Her body jerked to the side, spasming in place.

Bruce grabbed her arms to hold her in place and keep her from hurting herself. He'd only seen this once before, but he knew what was happening. She was having a seizure. He focused on his breathing, trying to slow his heart rate. He could only hope that the medical personnel would arrive before it was too late for her… or for him.

* * *

Fury was interrupted from his office work by the harsh shrill of his phone.

He sighed as he placed his pen down before answering the call.

"Yes?"

"Director Fury, there's been an incident."

"What incident?"

"One of the new recruits passed out in front of Banner and Collins. While Banner was looking over her, she started having a seizure. I sent my team to retrieve her, but Banner is stuck having to hold her in place. He may lose control."

Fury's face went cold as he stormed out of his office without another word. It only took a minute to reach them, but Fury was all too aware that any second could be too late. By the time he arrived, the medical staff were in the process of strapping a familiar young woman to a gurney. Bruce, thankfully, still looked very much human as he stood to the side and watched the medical team do their jobs.

Fury checked Banner once more for good measure, then kept his distance as he knew that his presence wouldn't be the best way to calm Banner down. Fury turned to see one of the causes of his headaches.

Sandi Ice, if that's even her real name, let out a small shudder as the last brace locked her into place.

He turned to Collins. "What happened here?"

Collins snuck a peek at Banner before he swallowed. "This girl fainted just as Doctor Banner and I were passing her. Banner caught her before she hit the floor. After we laid her down and Banner checked her pulse and breathing, she started having a seizure."

Fury looked at the girl more closely, her face familiar in more than one way. His eye twitched as an impossible theory came to mind.

"She passed out when you were both standing closest to her?"

"Yes, sir."

"She started seizing while Banner was checking her vitals?"

"Yes, sir."

Fury's eye narrowed at the unassuming girl. "When did the spasms cease?"

Collins peered at Fury. "About when medical started to lift her."

Fury's mouth set in a hard line. He took a deliberate slow breath through his nose. This day just keeps getting better.

* * *

~ Some time ago ~

"Who's the Hulk?"

Tony looked up from working on one of his mechanical suits at the sound of my question. "You got to him, huh?"

I nodded, eyes remaining glued to the screen. "His wiki page says that he could be the most physically powerful being on the planet. But it doesn't say anything about who he really is. What's his real name? How did he come to be like that? How could he be missing if he's as dangerous and unstable as it says online?"

Tony stood slowly and stiffly from his place on the floor where he'd been kneeling before stretching his back out. "That's because the government, particularly the military, is keeping it under wraps. That info is all sorts of classified."

One of my eyebrows rose. "That stopped you?"

He smirked and sauntered over my way. "His name is Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist. He specializes in radiation and how it can enhance the body. He's slightly smarter than me in that field."

My eyes were on the verge of bulging. He reiterated, "Slightly. In _that_ field."

I mock gasped. " _No!_ That couldn't be true!"

He gave me a funny look. " _You_ try being the best at everything. It's not as easy as I make it look."

" _Sure_ , you do," I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes. "So how did the talented scientist become the jolly green giant?"

Tony took the other office chair, sighing as he did. "Couldn't you guess? There was an accident, a gamma explosion. No one really knows what caused it since all the equipment was destroyed. All we do know is that he came out of it a few moments later, just bigger and greener."

A spark of recognition went off in my head. "Wait, you mentioned a guy with purple pants earlier…"

He grinned, unapologetic. "You remembered my matchmaking skills! It's meant to be!"

I snorted and sent him what must have been a very unconvincing glare.

He snickered but continued, "The day it happened, some security cameras caught him as he left. It must've been laundry day, because all that remained of his clothes were the top half of his bright purple sweats. So the purple pants are kind of the look he's famous for."

My short fingernails tapped on the desk as my mind ran in five directions at once. "But how has he stayed hidden for so long?"

Tony leaned forward in his chair, hands on his knees. A more serious look settled on his face. "Now _that_ is what General Ross definitely wants kept from the public eye. Banner didn't just become a mindless beast. The transformation is _temporary_. Banner becomes the Hulk when his life is in danger or when he loses control of his emotions, but eventually he always turns back."

I frowned. "Why would Ross keep that a secret?"

"What better way is there to turn the public against him than to call him a monster and deny his humanity?"

That… sounds far too similar to when Danny and I were just ectoplasmic manifestations of post human consciousness. We were mindless beasts. Feared and hated. How the world viewed ghosts back then… and even still in a lot of cases. I couldn't wish it on anyone.

My lips parted and I heard myself say, "There isn't." The clear conviction in my voice surprised both of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me. I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since my last update either. Truth be told, there were a lot of factors in this chapter that I didn't really know how to approach. I'm not particularly proud of how I wrote this still, but this is all I could make myself write for now and you guys definitely deserve an update. I'm pretty sure I've also been having a bit of minor depression lately… It's a lifelong thing. Oh well. I'm getting better.
> 
> Fun fact: The flashback between Dani and Tony was written several chapters back, and I knew I was going to put it right here.
> 
> Another fun fact: This is my longest chapter at 3,168 words. I know that's nothing compared to a lot of people. But I'm proud... Shut up! I'm making progress.


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